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The British journalist Tim Judah, in an interview for the Express newspaper, spoke about the whirlwind of events that took place in the region during 2023, the security challenges and the "threat" that awaits Kosovo in the coming years.
Judah has said that he does not expect the conclusion of the Kosovo-Serbia dialogue during 2024 and emphasized that the main responsibility for the finalization of normalization falls on both states.
As for regional security and the threat from Russia, Judah says the potential return of Donald Trump as president and the appointment of Richard Grenell as Secretary of State are more dangerous. According to the British journalist, Grenell can cause Kosovo more problems than the president of Russia, Vladimir Putin.
Journalist Judah finally says that Kosovo should be concerned about economic problems and demographics in 2024 and the following years. Judah told Express that he expects, as in all the countries of the region, a rapid contraction of the population of Kosovo
- Do you expect the US and the EU to end the dispute between Kosovo and Serbia during 2024?
Tim Judah: No. I also think that the main responsibility for closing the case belongs to Kosovo and Serbia.
- Do you think that during 2024 the US effort to divorce Serbia from Russia will take shape? If so, what will be the impacts on other developments in the region?
Tim Judah: I think you're fooling yourself if you believe that the US is trying too hard to "divorce" Serbia from Russia. I don't think it will change anything about it. Today, the main interest of the US is to have Serbia's munitions flowing to Ukraine, and I think for many in Washington that is far more important than dealing with Kosovo, even if the amount of munitions is relatively small. .
- If the Western powers will fail to push Kosovo and Serbia towards a final agreement, and if Serbia will continue cooperation with Russia, added here also Dodik's efforts in Bosnia and warnings that Russia wants a second war front in the Balkans, can they do these developments endanger the entire security structure in Europe?
Tim Judah: I think that's panicking. I think that the Balkans in a year will look more or less the same as it does now. A bigger risk is if Trump becomes president and makes Richard Grenell Secretary of State, an idea currently being floated in Washington. Grenell may cause far more problems in Kosovo than Putin, as was the case in the past.
– What are your expectations for the year 2024 regarding the peace process in the Western Balkans region, the Kosovo-Serbia dialogue, Bosnia and Herzegovina. Will the EU, beyond internal problems with member states like Hungary and internal elections, find a way forward to close the open issues. What is the risk if it fails?
Tim Judah: I think the main problem is not the EU or outsiders, it is the lack of political will in the region to compromise and move forward, so I think that in a year the region will not have changed much.
– Based on your knowledge of the region, politicians, society in general in the Western Balkans, also taking into account global developments, the war in Ukraine, the efforts of Russia and China, what do you think is the way forward so that the Balkans do not enter the dangerous spiral of conflicts. Is the introduction of Kosovo into NATO a solution, because we know that the North of Kosovo is a hot spot from where conflicts can start, it is enough to remember September 24 in Banjska?
Tim Judah: The question is not relevant because Kosovo obviously cannot become a member of NATO when, as with the EU, there are members who do not recognize it. Kosovo is now protected by NATO and this will not change, unless the Trump presidency decides otherwise. The biggest challenge for Kosovo in the next year and the following years is demography. How many people will leave when you don't need a Schengen visa? Also in the coming years, like the rest of the region, you will start having more deaths than births every year, so I expect Kosovo's population decline to accelerate dramatically and I think more time should be spent addressing the these economic problems and demographic issues rather than concern for the Chinese.
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