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Trump's man "buried" negotiations: Everything's falling apart, they need America


6–8 minutes

  _____  

"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 Wednesday, November 30, 2022 | 09:40 



Foto: EPA/EFE Chris Kleponis / POOL 

"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.

 

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