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Kosovo-Serbia Dialogue/ Former Trump Advisor: With Trump, there could be recognition, border correction possible

Kosovo-Serbia Dialogue/ Former Trump Advisor: With Trump, there could be

Trump's former national security adviser in his first term, John Bolton, has warned that the Trump administration could bring the progress of the Kosovo-Serbia dialogue back to the table. 

In an interview on A2 CNN, he said that during Trump's first term, he had a special interest in resolving disputes in the Balkans.

He underlined the importance of peace and stability in Europe, emphasizing that the conflict in Ukraine makes this issue even more important.

He said that any solution must be the result of mutual agreement between the parties.

"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 will be drawn away from security issues in Eastern Europe in general because of the war in Ukraine. During the campaign, he said that he would put Zelensky and Putin in a room and solve it in 24 hours. Of course, he understands today that this is impossible. Now he has stated that he hopes to finish it in 6 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 moment to resolve as many old disputes as possible. So an interest on the part of Trump is not impossible, perhaps from the beginning of his administration ," he said. 

Bolton commented on the former idea of ​​exchanging territories between Kosovo and Serbia, calling it an option that can only work with the consent of both sides.

He suggested that Trump could bring this proposal back to the table, given that the issue is still unresolved and could be seen as an opportunity to gain international credit.


"Look, my former boss, James Baker, who was secretary of state during the George H.W. Bush administration, 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 determination on both sides and has caused concern in other parts of the Balkans. Some say that if there is 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 side has to agree before territorial settlements can happen. And just because it happens between Serbia and Kosovo doesn't mean it has to happen elsewhere. 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 ," Bolton said. 

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2025-02-15 13:01:41