Former U.S. ambassador to Serbia William Montgomery said in an interview with the Serbian daily Danas that the situation in the Western Balkans is becoming increasingly unstable and potentially violent, particularly in Kosovo and Bosnia and Herzegovina.
“I think the situation is now becoming potentially violent. Unstable. There are many situations, especially in Kosovo but also in Bosnia, where people are very angry with each other, and violence could erupt. That’s my point — we need to pay more attention to this,” Montgomery told Danas.
Hopes for Trump’s involvement in the region
Montgomery expressed hope that U.S. President Donald Trump could play a decisive role in pushing Serbia and Kosovo to fully implement the Washington Agreement.
“I had high expectations because President Trump has shown around the world that he’s ready to take new positions and make changes. I hoped he would do the same in the Balkans. He hasn’t yet, but there are still more than three years left in his administration. I truly hope he’ll get involved, because with his style — if he sees things aren’t working — he’s not afraid to change them,” Montgomery said.
He added that the current political systems in Bosnia and Kosovo “haven’t worked for over 30 years” and need fundamental reform. “It will take time, effort, and imagination to change it, but it must change,” he said, adding that Trump could “be part of that change.”
Warning of Western neglect
The former diplomat warned that Western governments are increasingly distracted by internal issues and risk ignoring the Balkans at a critical time.
“Frankly, the West is currently quite complacent. They have major problems in France, Germany, and the United States. So, to some extent, they are neglecting this region — and that’s a mistake,” he said.
Montgomery cautioned that without significant change, the Western Balkans could remain “third-class economies” without meaningful progress. “The worst-case scenario is that violence erupts — for example, in Bosnia, where the situation involving President Dodik must be handled carefully to avoid escalation,” he added.
On war criminals and regional politics
Asked about the continued glorification of wartime leaders such as Karadžić, Mladić, Milošević, Tuđman, and Izetbegović, Montgomery said he does not see a full return to their politics but criticized the lack of reconciliation in the region.
“The International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia was created to bring more peace, security, and cooperation. But in this region, I think it failed in that fundamental mission,” he said, recalling that Serbian reformist Prime Minister Zoran Đinđić was assassinated partly because of his cooperation with The Hague Tribunal.
Montgomery also criticized the approach of the international community in Bosnia and Herzegovina, saying the High Representative made “a major mistake” by directly confronting Republika Srpska’s President Milorad Dodik.
“That only made things worse,” he said. “The EU had advised him to leave it alone, but he didn’t listen, creating further instability in the region.”