U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken faced criticism from a close ally as ethnic tensions have once again flared in the Balkans.
Kosovo Prime Minister Albin Kurti took a shot at Blinken, who had criticized Kosovo’s government for “actions it took against the advice of the United States and Kosovo’s European partners,” according to a statement from Blinken.
Kurti didn’t shy away, telling The Guardian newspaper in an interview last week, “I think it’s not just unfair and wrong and hurtful but at the same time very naive.” He also said the comments were appeasing Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic.
NATO Kosovo Force soldiers detain a protester at the entrance of the municipality office in the town of Zvecan, Kosovo, on May 29, 2023. (Reuters/Laura Hasani)
Kurti ignored a demand from Blinken to reverse course and refrain from actions that would inflame tensions. The prime minister said Kosovo police will stay in the northern Serb region, a move that the U.S. believes will not help defuse the situation. In response, the U.S. announced that it was canceling Kosovo’s participation in upcoming NATO military exercises.
Asked for comment on Kurti’s criticism, a State Department spokesperson referred Fox News Digital to Blinken’s comments in Norway on Thursday in which he said, “The escalation there and the actions taken there move both Kosovo and Serbia in the wrong direction because the answer that we’re looking for is de-escalation, avoiding any unilateral actions, and returning to this normalization process and the EU-led effort that is what promises both of them a future of integration in the Euro-Atlantic community,” Blinken said during his press conference in Oslo.
Blinken said the U.S. will oppose any actions that either country takes that would make EU integration a more distant prospect.
“We’ve been very clear in our concerns about some of the recent actions that were taken. We’ve said that directly to the leaders involved, including Prime Minister Kurti. And we’re looking for both to act responsibly going forward,” Blinken added.
Secretary of State Antony Blinken, left, meets with Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Store ahead of a NATO meeting in Oslo, Norway, on May 31, 2023. (NTB/Heiko Junge via Reuters)
French President Emmanuel Macron also waded in and directly blamed Kurti and Kosovo for the confrontation. With its rebuke of ally Kurti, the U.S. has been accused by some in diplomatic circles of taking the side of Vucic, who has been a close ally of Russian President Vladimir Putin.
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Polish soldiers, part of the peacekeeping mission in Kosovo, and Kosovo Force guard a municipal building in the town of Zvecan on May 29, 2023. (AP Photo/Bojan Slavkovic)
“I do not think that the latest statements from the United States or France necessarily mean that they are siding with Vucic as much as they are merely critical of the Kurti government’s decision to send the mayors to their offices and insist that they have legitimacy to govern, knowing all too well that this is likely to spark tensions,” Helena Ivanov, associate fellow at the Henry Jackson Society, told Fox News Digital.
“Generally, I think that the West just wants things to stay calm and will criticize any moves that are likely to spark tensions – thus the critical tone towards Kosovo,” Ivanov added.
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Kosovo Prime Minister Albin Kurti speaks during an interview with Reuters at his office in Pristina, Kosovo, on Aug. 10, 2022. (Reuters/Fedja Grulovic)
