After Banjska
This second miscalculation gives Aleksandar Vucic a lot of work to do. By David B. Kanin Milan Radoicic’s botched raid against Kosovo was... Read More
Serbia and three Germanies
The West deals with Serbia by straddling victors’ policies toward Germany in 1918 and 1945. It also punishes Serbia for crimes of the 1990s after... Read More
Serbia must play fair too
As the U.S. and its fellow EU members of the Quint pressure Pristina to offer solutions, they must either pressure or entice Vucic to allow... Read More
NATO’s two choices in Kosovo
NATO now has two choices under its UN mandate, to escort those forces back south of the River or to open the border and allow Serbian... Read More
What agreement?
Once again the West struggles to enforce a deal of questionable value on unwilling Balkan participants. By David B. Kanin The old saying... Read More
Kosovo: not up to NATO
The U.S., EU and now NATO have long acted in Kosovo as if they had the authority to act for the United Nations. Belgrade would... Read More
Kosovo: should/could Serbia intervene unilaterally?
Should Belgrade send forces into the north to lance this boil? It may be the only way to force the hand of the U.S., EU... Read More
Kosovo – lancing the Boil?
NATO would be well within its UN mandate to allow some Serbian forces to return to Kosovo. Perhaps this is the way to lance the... Read More
Sovereignty for Metohija
Treat the Serbian Orthodox Church as a respected partner in a comprehensive, single-stage agreement on the status of Kosovo. By David B. Kanin I... Read More
What will trigger the next Balkan conflict?
Look past the usual noise emanating from EU-sponsored meetings and the panic of former diplomats and pundits. By David B. Kanin The current security... Read More
Kurti’s momentous opportunity to transform Kosovo
Kosovo’s Prime Minister Kurti stands an excellent chance of succeeding to make Kosovo a model of progressive democracy, advanced economy, and social equality that no... Read More
Sweeten the pot, or there will be no pot
Belgrade would need a good reason to give up its “curse” of leverage. By David B. Kanin Ed Joseph has a serious proposal. It... Read More
Please colonize us.
Balkan Westernizers avoid a post-Imperial world. By David B. Kanin Not long ago, I took part in a conversation about the long-running soap opera... Read More
Kurti in the driver’s seat – of a driverless vehicle
Kosovo’s Prime Minister will retain multiple options no matter how any renewed Western effort to pound out a deal between Pristina and Belgrade turns out.... Read More
Time for Kosovo to secure its true independence
To be sure, the Kosovo public can now exercise their electoral power to demand all of the above and other areas of concern from the... Read More
Kosovo needs an election
Hashim Thaci’s indictment blows apart the politically-motivated diplomacy of the last few months. By David B. Kanin The fix was in. Thaci and Isa... Read More
Vucic’s plan B should become plan A – treat the EU as it treats you
The latest in the series of broken EU promises and failed EU initiatives stand in sharp contrast to the modest but constructive “mini-Schengen” agreement among... Read More
Of tariffs and statehood
At this point, removing the tariffs against Serbia without recognition by Belgrade would be a serious setback to Kosova’s wobbly sovereignty. By David B.... Read More
To prevent brain drain, Kosovo must eradicate corruption
The US and EU “pressure” to fight corruption and deal with the country’s socio-political and economic ailments have largely failed. The US and the EU... Read More
The Balkans – the feast feeding Russia’s and Turkey’s hunger
The EU should insist on democratic reforms and adherence to human rights, against which it would accelerate the membership process of Balkan states. This will... Read More
Spinning Russia in the Balkans
Bismarck had warned at the close of the Congress of Berlin in 1878 that the next war in Europe would probably result from “some damn... Read More
Truthful reporting in the Balkans is life-threatening
The Balkan public needs to know that they can rely on the EU’s backing in their battle for human rights and freedom of the press,... Read More
The Kosovo dialogue – must the show go on?
It is clear that “rallying ‘round the flag” is not a phenomena which is limited to the Kosovo territory, but something which represents a mainstream... Read More
Partition phobia
The simple assumption that border changes, by necessity, bring horrific consequences is a form of work avoidance, as is the teleological notion that there exists... Read More
