
Donald Trump's return to power, the approach he will have towards the region and Kosovo in particular, his willingness to lead towards a final solution between Pristina and Belgrade, or the possibility of bringing the idea of ??border correction back to the table. For all these issues and other questions that we have raised during these days, journalist Rosalba Bejdo has spoken with Trump's former security advisor in the first term, Mr. John Bolton.
Recently, discussions have erupted in the region about investments by Trump's son-in-law, Jared Kushner, in Albania and Serbia. The New York Times has suggested that the leaders of these countries may be buying influence in the new Trump administration. Do you see a connection here?
John Bolton : As far as I understand, the policy of the governments of these countries is to attract foreign investment and they hope that this will help increase the welfare in Albania. I assume that they are following the applicable Albanian laws. If anyone has information to the contrary, let them present it. But it is difficult to say that the government is not following a clear and wise policy to attract more foreign investment. If that is all, I do not see why it can be objected to.
During the Biden administration, former president and former prime minister of Albania, now opposition leader, Sali Berisha, was declared “non grata.” Do you think the new Trump administration can reverse this decision?
John Bolton: That's absolutely possible. The Trump administration has done a lot to overturn the Biden administration's decisions. This could be one of them. However, I haven't heard anything about it yet.
In the Western Balkans, Donald Trump's return to the White House has been widely discussed, amid many questions and concerns. While we know that the region is unlikely to be a priority for his administration, do you expect any change in the US approach towards Albania or Kosovo?
John Bolton: I think the interest that emerged during Trump’s first term in resolving the remaining disputes in the Balkans was a high priority. It was a high priority before the Russian invasion of Ukraine, and it is an even higher priority now, or at least it should be, for the United States. Of course, there is a lot of history in this region, and feelings are strong on all sides involved, but we have made some progress in recent years. And it is even more important now, in the context of the ongoing war in Ukraine. Regardless of what happens there, which is still very difficult to predict, peace and stability in Europe as a whole have been a vital interest for America since 1945 and should continue to be so.
There is growing concern in Kosovo about Trump's return to the White House, due to the perception that he is more supportive of Serbia. His special envoy for Kosovo and Serbia, Richard Grenell, has had disagreements with Kosovo's political leaders and good relations with Serbian leaders. Considering that Grenell has been tasked with managing crises around the world, do you think he will again have an active role in the Balkans? And will the new administration take a tougher approach towards Kosovo and a more supportive approach towards Serbia?
John Bolton: These are very important questions, and we just don't know yet. Grenell's position has not existed before. He wanted to be secretary of state during the second Trump administration. Of course, that didn't happen. Grenell's relationship with Marco Rubio, who will be secretary of state, is very unclear. In fact, there is a lot of uncertainty about roles and responsibilities in the State Department right now. Marco Rubio was confirmed by the Senate and sworn in as secretary of state. We may have some clarity soon. Whether the Kosovo-Serbia dispute will be one of Grenell's priorities, it's hard to say. But, as you mentioned, he had responsibilities at the end of Trump's first term. I would say that there can be no lasting peace between Kosovo and Serbia or anywhere else, unless the parties involved seriously come to an agreement. Even if Grenell is to be in charge of this issue and favors Serbia, it is important to understand that trying to impose a solution on Kosovo or vice versa simply will not work.
President Trump describes himself as someone who can resolve conflicts. Do you believe that under his leadership a solution between Kosovo and Serbia, including mutual recognition, can be reached?
John Bolton: I think that's possible. If he saw this as something he could take credit for, I think he would pay attention to it right away. This is a very complex problem, and it doesn't usually attract him, but I think he's going to be pulled away from security issues in Eastern Europe in general because of the war in Ukraine. During the campaign, he said he would put Zelensky and Putin in a room and solve it in 24 hours. Of course, he understands today that that's impossible. Now he's said he hopes to finish it in six months. But given a number of destabilizing factors, including Moldova with Transnistria, disputes over pipelines coming from Russia and natural gas to several countries in Central and Eastern Europe, I think there will be a focus on the region as a whole. That suggests to me that this is a good time to resolve as many old disputes as possible. So an interest on Trump's part is not out of the question, perhaps early in his administration.
Despite years of dialogue, Kosovo and Serbia have not made significant progress in normalizing relations. Tensions have recently escalated, and an armed attack took place in northern Kosovo in 2023, for which authorities in Pristina blamed Serbia. The Prime Minister of Kosovo has warned that Serbia is planning further attacks in the north, where the Serb majority lives. Do you believe there is a risk of a dangerous conflict between the two countries?
John Bolton : I hope not. This is something that reasonable people should be able to resolve. I think there are extremists in both countries who have absolutist positions that sometimes prevent democratic leaders from getting closer. I myself have been involved, with former British Prime Minister Tony Blair's suggestion of border adjustments to see what could be achieved. We were optimistic, but unfortunately it didn't work. Because of the history in this region, we have to approach it with our eyes open. As I said, I don't think applying pressure is going to work, and when independent actors or, worse, people acting in the service of governments to cause violence, it's only going to make it much more difficult to resolve the situation.
As mentioned, a territorial swap between Kosovo and Serbia was proposed at the White House. The idea was ultimately rejected, but do you think it could have worked as a solution?
John Bolton: Look, my former boss, James Baker, who was secretary of state under George HW Bush, often said about the Middle East that the United States cannot want peace more than the parties themselves. Of course, any territorial settlement has to have the full consent of both parties, Serbia and Kosovo. If one side agrees and the other doesn't, then you don't have an agreement. That's difficult. It requires political will on both sides, and it has caused concern in other parts of the Balkans. Some say that if there's a territorial settlement between Serbia and Kosovo, there could be other areas as well. I don't think that's a legitimate concern. As I said, each party has to agree before territorial settlements can happen. And just because it happens between Serbia and Kosovo doesn't mean it has to happen anywhere else. So I think it's quite difficult to reach an agreement just between Serbia and Kosovo, without involving the whole Balkans and making things more complicated.
Do you think Trump can bring this proposal back to the table?
John Bolton: I think, given his familiarity with this issue at the end of his first term, he might see this as an opportunity; now that he's just been inaugurated, it might give him new credibility. It's not near the end of the term, but it's at the beginning of it. So I think if he gets involved, the possibilities for a solution are greater. If he doesn't get involved, then, of course, the uncertainty will continue./ A2CNN