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Albanians worried, Serbs celebrating: What does the potential US withdrawal mean for the Balkans?
Materials from Washington are arriving at the diplomatic headquarters of NATO allies in Brussels, which have caused shudders in Western chancelleries, especially in small and fragile countries in terms of security.
As reported by diplomatic circles, at the NATO leaders' summit to be held on June 24-25 in The Hague, US President Donald Trump is expected to announce the closure of several US bases in Europe, as well as the withdrawal of a number of troops, with the justification of reducing spending, but which is clearly a political reaction.
As is known, there is talk of a number of bases that both the US military and NATO have long placed in the reduction plan, because they have neither strategic nor logistical importance, and are a financial problem for the alliance.
However, the announcement at a political summit such as that of the leaders of states, will have an effect that is expected to be quite strong. To give strength to the old NATO plan, it is learned that several other bases have been added that can be closed. Their closure has not been requested by the Pentagon, but by the White House staff, and which seems more than a reality, is a bargaining chip, to be used in the end for political negotiations.
In this plan, it is learned that the closure of the American base in Kosovo, Bondsteel, located in Ferizaj, has also been decided. The base, which is the only one completely American in the Balkans. Which means that all military and civilian personnel are American, and the money is provided entirely from the Pentagon budget. The other bases are NATO, which means that both officers and soldiers, but also funds and the chain of command are shared. The contract for the land that the base occupies is state-owned, and there are no contractual problems.
Meanwhile, the American military base in Kosovo has been leased by the Pentagon for 78 years and its owners have become millionaires since 2001. Through individual contracts, they have received or receive money regularly every month.
This aspect means that it is not a simple matter to close a base, which is likely to be difficult to happen in practice.
But the public announcement of withdrawal by the most powerful man in the world today could cause a 'shock' not only in Kosovo, but throughout the Western Balkans.
Where the Albanians will be upset, and the Serbs will be rubbing their hands, because they have prepared for this day by arming themselves to the teeth. It is very likely that the announcement of the closure of Bondsteel will be another political "carrot" for Vladimir Putin, in order to entice him to end the war in Ukraine as soon as possible.
These methods have been used in the past. During the Cuban Missile Crisis, after Kennedy's negotiations with Khrushchev, the closure of several American bases in Turkey, which were almost out of use, was offered in exchange.
Meanwhile, Trump is expected to give a shocking speech in The Hague, where he will also talk about withdrawing a number of troops from Germany, Spain and Italy. Plans that have been cited in recent days by several media outlets in Washington and Rome, but without providing details.
In Italy, for example, there is talk of a group of soldiers from a base in Calabria, where the port where the Americans are located has practically been devoid of any military activity for some time, except for special occasions.
In reality, both the US and other NATO countries can enter any port of member states without any problems./ Pamphlet
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