President Trump has invited the leaders of Kosovo and Serbia to the White House on June 27 to resolve their long-standing dispute over Kosovo’s final status. The minisummit will be presided over by Richard Grenell, Trump’s special envoy for the dialogue. Grenell has urged an accelerated resolution to the conflict, thus setting the stage for a dramatic Balkan summer.
Three questions will need to be answered if talks between Kosovo and Serbia are to produce concrete results: the purpose, the participants, and the mediators. The new government in Pristina, Kosovo, is consistent with its predecessors in its approach to the talks. Prime Minister Avdullah Hoti has outlined his government’s platform, underscoring that Kosovo will not negotiate its independent statehood or territorial integrity. He also asserted that any agreement must result in reciprocal recognition, enabling both countries to coexist peacefully.
