Former U.S. diplomat Richard Grenell has sharply criticized Kosovo Prime Minister Albin Kurti, accusing him of undermining regional stability and alienating the international community. In a statement reflecting ongoing tensions between Washington and Pristina, Grenell said Kurti had failed to align with U.S. policies across multiple administrations and suggested that his leadership was deterring American investment in Kosovo.
“I have many friends in Kosovo and Albania…and many friends in Serbia and throughout the region,” Grenell said. “The Trump Administration has worked and will continue to work towards peace for everyone in the Balkans. But we need trustworthy partners.”
Grenell, who served as U.S. Special Envoy for Serbia-Kosovo negotiations under President Donald Trump, accused Kurti of taking unilateral actions that destabilized the region. “The Kurti Government was not trustworthy during Trump’s first term, nor during Biden’s term. Both Republicans and Democrats have criticized Kurti consistently for taking unilateral actions that destabilize the region. So has the EU and NATO. The international community is united against Kurti.”
The former envoy further claimed that U.S. businesses were expanding in Albania and Serbia but avoiding Kosovo due to Kurti’s policies. “Kurti has also been against every U.S. idea offered by Presidents Clinton, Bush, Obama, Biden, and Trump,” he added.
Kurti, a nationalist leader who has often clashed with Western diplomats over Kosovo’s approach to Serbia, has defended his administration’s policies as protecting Kosovo’s sovereignty. While the U.S. has supported Kosovo’s independence and security, it has also criticized Kurti’s handling of recent disputes, particularly in the country’s Serb-majority north.
Grenell dismissed Kurti’s recent claims of strengthening ties with the U.S. as misleading. “The rhetoric used by Kurti now, claiming that he is close to the U.S. and better than all other Kosovo governments, is absolutely false. Don’t be fooled,” he said.
The comments underscore the continuing diplomatic friction between Kosovo and Western officials as tensions with Serbia remain high.
