Kosova is with America and America is in Kosova.
By Agim Aliçkaj/
We awaited, rightfully and with great joy, the day of the Hearing Session on the Western Balkans in the House Foreign Affairs Committee of the U.S. Congress, chaired by the well-known Congressman Keith Self, a friend of the Albanians.
And we were not disappointed. The questions and issues raised by the congressmen and the answers given by the witnesses—whenever Kosova was the subject—were almost entirely in Kosova’s favor. Serbia was in the seat of the accused for all its destructive and destabilizing policies in the Balkans.
Among the most important points was the harsh criticism directed at Serbia for the systematic violation of the human rights of the Albanian population living in the ancestral regions of Preseva, Bujanoc, and Medvegja. Everyone present agreed on this point, and Congressman Self even presented a congressional resolution which may be considered historical.
The danger posed by Russian-Serbian hegemonism was emphasized, with a request that the Trump Administration engage more to preserve peace in the Western Balkans.
America has invested greatly in Kosova since 1999. This investment must be protected, maintained, and further developed. Since Europe, for many reasons, lacks the capacity to restrain Serbian aggression, it is essential that America be directly and decisively involved in the Balkans. The conflict between Kosova and Serbia can only be solved through American intervention.
Mr. Edward Joseph’s proposal for Kosova’s membership in NATO is the quickest solution to the problem with Serbia, because it extinguishes Serbian hopes for border changes and for returning to the place where it committed its crimes.
American engagement is always good news for Kosova, provided that one works hard with American officials—discussing calmly, with arguments, and with respect.
All this good news for Kosova was attempted to be belittled, distorted, and misused for personal, clan-based, and party interests by some representatives of Kosova’s opposition parties, together with their analysts and journalists from all sides, sold to the enemies of the Albanian people.
In the style of “oh men, the Bistrica river is on fire,” they fixated only on 15 seconds of this extraordinary session—more than four hours long—in which, during one of Congressman Self’s short routine questions about whether PM Albin Kurti is considered “an obstructionist” by some career bureaucrats in the State Department, two panelists answered yes, and the third mostly yes.
In many media, especially social media, sensational and disgracefully low-level headlines against Kurti exploded, with fantastical, illusory predictions about the “end” of his political career. The “blocker, obstacle” chorus began, along with the dance of his opponents and the enemies of Kosova. The internet nearly exploded. The day after the hearing was a circus day—it would have been funny if it weren’t shameful.
Where were these clowns three years ago when, in a Senate hearing, Senator Menendez asked senior State Department official Derek Chollet whether President Vučić had ties to organized crime, and he answered Yes?! Imagine if this had been said about Mr. Kurti—there would have been the end of the world.
It is well known that various career bureaucrats in the State Department may have differing opinions on certain issues, which they can change as needed.
During my 35 years of lobbying activity in Washington within the Albanian American Civic League, with national legends Joseph DioGuardi and Shirley Cloyes DioGuardi, we often were confronted with high-level U.S. officials influenced by Serbia, including former Secretary of State Lawrence Eagleburger.
Some of them called former Congressman DioGuardi a “troublemaker”. Such people were calmed by the U.S. Congress after the wise actions of the AACL and pressure by the Albanian-American community.
It must be emphasized that there are serious indications that the coordinator of many actions against Kosova and American interests in the Balkans—within certain American circles as well as within the Kosova opposition—is the former U.S. Ambassador Richard Grenell, influenced by Aleksandar Vučić’s fascist regime.
He is a sworn opponent of PM Albin Kurti, an open destroyer of Kosova’s democracy in 2020, a direct interferer in the free parliamentary elections of February 2025, and an adviser to Kosova’s opposition on how to block Kosova’s institutions and make political chaos, with the goal of removing Kurti from politics.
It is widely believed that he is also behind Bedri Hamza’s sudden and surprising trip to Washington—without any logic or need—just to boost the opposition’s chances and weaken Kurti before the elections. This is an anti-democratic act with the aim of interfering in the free elections of one country for the interests of another enemy country.
As former Ambassador Grenell’s public statements became noticeably pro-Serbian, he has begun to change his strategy, asking other American officials to come out publicly against Kosova and Prime Minister Kurti, including the American Embassy in Prishtina.
He is trying to empower the hostile organization “Lista Srpska” and facilitate Serbia’s return to Kosova, camouflaged by supposed economic relations.
The well-known Republican Congressman Mike Lawler recently told us in a meeting with the Albanian-American community, that Grenell presents himself as more important than he actually is within the Trump Administration. Furthermore, by supporting Serbian aggression, he seeks conflict in the Balkans, while President Trump is against conflicts and wars. For this reason Grenell’s time is on the decline.
Former Ambassador Christopher Hill, who has become Serbia’s lobbyist in Washington, is acting in the same way. He is criticizing Kosova and Prime Minister Kurti without any basis. Grenell and Hill do not represent official U.S. policy— they represent Serbian interests in America.
I hope that the people of Kosova will give their answer with their vote—by a majority for PM Albin Kurti on December 28, and at the appropriate time, for President Osmani. Only the people of Kosova can save Kosova from Serbia’s return, for a secure pro-European and pro-American future.
American support will not be lacking. In the end, America prefers strong and uncorrupted leaders like Vjosa Osmani, Albin Kurti, and Glauk Konjufca.
Kosova is with America and America is in Kosova. Serbia is with Russia and Russia is in Serbia. This will never change.