cdm.me<https://www.cdm.me/english/the-balkans-caught-in-the-crossfire/> The Balkans Caught in the Crossfire - CdM Ljubomir Filipović 4–5 minutes ________________________________
Good morning! Davos once again laid bare the unpredictability and strained relations among transatlantic allies. The Balkans, deeply embedded within NATO, now finds itself on the line of fire. A tweet by Richard Grenell, responding to a tweet by Marta Kos, for the first time explicitly set the American and European paths for Serbia against each other. For now, none of the region’s leaders is choosing sides. Some are playing dead, others are promising everything to everyone. At the moment, everyone is nervously sitting on two chairs. Click here to join our Viber group<https://invite.viber.com/?g2=AQByCu7VT3dHCUvDlyzf39IMA3enzgzx%2BVVMvw8rQ%2Bm9YlmWEuklVyRnyoNoc5Gl&lang=en>, where we keep you updated with live news around the clock and respond directly to your questions. The Balkans Caught in the Crossfire Everyone is talking about a changing world. While Donald Trump’s first term once seemed like a brief deviation from the well-trodden path of U.S. foreign policy, there are now more and more of those who believe that it was actually Biden’s term that represented a temporary departure from new tracks. When it comes to the Balkans, we felt no real discontinuity after the 2020 elections. On the contrary, Trump’s current term—and the apparent ignoring of Serbia and its authorities—now seems like a break both from Biden’s policies and from Trump’s own first term. While Andrija Mandic, through his right-wing connections in Israel, is trying to appeal to Trump and gain visibility, it is clear that he is neither the leader of Montenegro nor a credible contender for that role, and therefore is not of real interest. To become relevant, he would have to take a much bolder stance—supporting stronger and more decisive positions. Although privately favouring the Trump administration, our leaders fear domestic public opinion as well as the European Union, whose structures we are irreversibly integrated into. As a result, the Government of Montenegro has chosen a head-in-the-sand strategy. A naïve, childlike belief prevails that by closing our eyes, we ourselves will become invisible. The familiar refrain: “We are small, we don’t matter, it’s better to stay quiet.” At least until we become a topic for one side or the other. Size is irrelevant in this context. Finland is a small country. Iceland has ten times fewer inhabitants than Montenegro. The speech by the Canadian prime minister stood out because it marked an acceptance of the new reality. While many are still waiting for U.S. midterm elections, just as they once waited for Biden’s inauguration, they fail to understand that the world has already changed. The way the governor of California publicly called out European leaders signals a new style of communication that every future U.S. administration will practice. The gloves are off. Soft power has been dismantled and relegated to the past. As Montenegro withdraws from the stage and slides into isolation, Albanian leaders from Albania and Kosovo are moving toward the fire. They are accepting the new reality and cooperating with everyone. Rama has been everyone’s best friend—both Soros’s and Kushner’s. And although his style has become tiring to many, even cringe-worthy, it appears to work. The EU does not hold much against the Albanians, and Trump sees them as cooperative partners. Vucic had similar ambitions, but it seems he manoeuvred and schemed too much. What exactly made him so radioactive to the Americans can only be guessed. No matter how much international circumstances change, we must have a clear vision of where and how we want to see ourselves. Preserving a minimum of social cohesion in Montenegrin society and protecting state independence is crucial. Allies and interests must be chosen carefully. Stability, peace, and progress have never been more important for small states like ours. That’s all for today. We wish you a pleasant rest of the day. Kind regards, Ljubomir Filipovic, CdM analyst and columnist (Columnists’ opinions and views are not necessarily those of the CdM editorial board) -- http:www.antic.org --- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "SERBIAN NEWS NETWORK" group. To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an email to [email protected]. To view this discussion visit https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/senet/PH0PR13MB544678D6DB4DB8AA71101B45AE97A%40PH0PR13MB5446.namprd13.prod.outlook.com.
