Two points about Kosovo Posted by Max Bergmann

First, the situation in Kosovo is more of an EU problem than a US problem now.

One thing I am struck by is that many progressive foreign policy experts, who cut their teeth in the 1990s when the EU was just getting started, just seem to completely ignore the EU’s importance now. Richard Holbrooke in a Washington Post op-ed, while correctly warning of the dangers to the region stemming from Kosovo’s declaration of independence, simply ignores the role of the EU in the region. In fact, Holbrooke even dismisses the EU forces in Bosnia,

the State Department did not prevent Rumsfeld from prematurely turning the NATO command in Bosnia over to a weak E.U. Force, a terrible mistake.

But how was it a terrible mistake? In fact, Europeans seem so pleased with the security situation in Bosnia that they have cut the size of the security force from 6,000 to 2,500 and are preparing Bosnia for EU membership recently providing it 440 million euros in pre-ascension funding.

The fact is that this is not 1999.  A lot has changed and the EU is large enough and mature enough to deal with many of the problems posed by the Balkans. Slovenia, Bulgaria, Hungry, Romania are all now in the EU and Croatia and Macedonia are on track for membership. In fact, the EU will shortly be taking over for the UN mission in Kosovo, turning Kosovo from a UN protectorate to an EU one just as it did in Bosnia. If things progress, the security responsibility will be handed off to the EU as well. This is an anecdotal point, but one I found interesting, in this lengthy Economist article on the situation in Kosovo it never mentions the U.S. – not once. To put it simply, the EU does not need the U.S. to tell it how to deal with the Balkans anymore.

Second, where we have really dropped the ball over Kosovo are in our dealings with Russia. The EU is capable of stabilizing and integrating the Balkans now. But where it is running into problems is that the Russians are actively working to undermine the EU’s efforts to integrate Serbia and Bosnia. Russia has offered Serbs an alternative to EU membership and has used Kosovo as a wedge issue to separate Serbia from the EU.

The recent Serb elections - which saw the pro-EU Boris Tadic, the sitting President, narrowly defeated the pro-Russian nationalist challenger - was a victory for the EU. But the issue of Kosovo has been deeply problematic for Tadic. While he is completely opposed to Kosovo's independence, he is not willing to tank EU membership for it. This has left him vulnerable not just from the large nationalist right, but from the sitting Prime Minister Kostunica, who has threatened to bolt, if Tadic were to sign a membership agreement with the EU. With Russia offering incentives for Serbia to turn the backs on the EU, the U.S. has been absent.

The fact is that we have not had a Russia policy under this administration and that is now causing problems for us and Europe on almost every major foreign policy challenge from climate change to Kosovo to Iran. But ultimately Russia is fighting a losing battle against the EU in the Balkans… geography still matters. And as you can see Serbia is soon to be surrounded...

Comments

[Steven Conn]

The only thing that's driving Serbia awaye from USA is USA and its illegal and violent actions against Serbia. How sad that the most US intellectuals can accomplish is to blame Russia. Very primitive and dishonest. Perhaps we can also blame Russia for the Muslims' dislike of US. And the same in Latin America.

The author then concludes that Serbia is surrounded - very friendly thinking. This is as base as Holbrooke's recent outburst against Russia - Hillarly is losing, so now anything goes.

[Ben]

What illegal actions towards Serbia? Can one honestly suggest that Serbia's actions in the 1990s did not necessitate the exact actions the Clinton Administration took? I wasn't aware that it was "primitive" of me to think that ethnic cleansing should not be stopped when it can be or the power of war criminals checked by those who still believe in freedom and justice.

Oh, we're the primitive ones..I see.

[Ben]

What illegal actions towards Serbia? Can one honestly suggest that Serbia's actions in the 1990s did not necessitate the exact actions the Clinton Administration took? I wasn't aware that it was "primitive" of me to think that ethnic cleansing should not be stopped when it can be or the power of war criminals checked by those who still believe in freedom and justice.

Oh, we're the primitive ones..I see.

[FRANK]

As we say in AMERICA - if you don't like it; go back where you came from. The same should have held for the albanians. How about if I slept over at your house and then claimed a portion of it as mine? That bedroom is 100% ethnically "me" - do I have a right to claim it?

[FRANK]

As we say in AMERICA - if you don't like it; go back where you came from. The same should have held for the albanians. How about if I slept over at your house and then claimed a portion of it as mine? That bedroom is 100% ethnically "me" - do I have a right to claim it?