Trump's man "buried" negotiations: Everything's falling apart, they need America
"Belgrade-Pristina negotiations are falling apart, because State Department is negotiating with the Europeans - then you get a lot of talk, but little action".
Source: RTS
"Belgrade-Pristina negotiations are falling apart, because the State Department is negotiating with the Europeans, and when you let them lead, you get a lot of talk, but little action", Richard Grenell, the former special envoy for dialogue in the Trump administration, told RTS, stressing that it is necessary for "American leaders to lead" and to have the trust of both sides. He says that Albin Kurti rejects all ideas and that he is of no use.
"I think we know that Kurti is just not useful in this situation. I talked to him and he is someone who never liked any idea. He rejected every idea that the Americans offered him. Now he rejects the ideas offered by the Europeans. Even the Biden administration has to criticize him. I also think that he does not serve his people. It doesn't help in this situation. We miss Thaci these days," Grenell said.
"He just says 'no', he is 'Mr. No'. If you go back to the ideas of Bill Clinton or Barack Obama, he rejects all the ideas that Americans have offered. The American system sees it. Finally, in America, we come to the conclusion on both sides that Kurti is of no use to the Americans", he added.
Asked whether Serbia, if one of its leaders or representatives had acted in this way, would have been punished, while nothing happened to Kurti, Grenell says that the Trump administration treated Kurti very harshly. "Some would say that I exaggerated. Even that I wasn't fair", he said and added that he thought he was fair.
When asked how he views the American role in the negotiations between Belgrade and Pristina, Grenell replied that there is currently a "consensus with the Europeans".
"We in the Trump administration believed that it was necessary for America to lead. People from the White House, from the administration, must stand at the head", he pointed out.
"I was appointed to be the envoy of the president, not the State Department." I represented President Trump. I could walk into the president's office and propose something. I could tell him personally what the two sides wanted. President Biden doesn't have that. The State Department colludes with the Europeans, and when you let them lead, you get a lot of talk and little action. This is happening now. We see the talks falling apart. America's leadership is needed, for American leaders to lead and to have the trust of both sides," said Grenell.
Speaking about the interest of the US in this region, Grenell says that the Biden administration has not really shown any interest.
"I will repeat, I think Biden's policy is to leave everything to the Europeans. And Europeans need Americans. While I was an envoy, I kept Paris and Berlin informed quite regularly. We did not harmonize with the EU and Brussels, and those who say that are right. But I worked closely with Berlin and Paris because I believed that if you work with the Germans and the French then they will coordinate with Brussels, let's leave it to them. Because, as we know, coordination with Brussels requires full-time work," said the former Trump envoy for dialogue between Belgrade and Pristina.
