U.S. Ambassador to Kosovo, Jeff Hovenier, delivered blistering remarks today in response to the riots that injured more than thirty NATO peacekeepers yesterday in Northern Kosovo.
The first consequence was the elimination of Kosovo from DEFENDER 23 which is a U.S. Army Europe and Africa led exercise focused on the strategic deployment of continental United States-based forces, employment of Army Prepositioned Stocks, and interoperability with Allies and partners. The exercise began on 22 April and is supposed to go until June.
The ambassador also reportedly said there may be no official visits between the two nations after Friday’s actions were not coordinated and that his office repeatedly asked the Prime Minister to take de-escalators steps, which were unanswered.
? There will be no readiness for visits of Kosovo officials to the USA and vice versa.
— kos_data (@kos_data) May 30, 2023
However, perhaps his most blistering comment reads below:
”I must say that at this moment we have asked Prime Minister Kurti to take urgent steps to achieve de-escalation in the north. There is no response to these requests of ours. So we are thinking about what our next steps will be. However, at this moment, you will not find much enthusiasm on the part of the USA to react to other interests of Kosovo, for example to engage with countries that have not recognized Kosovo or to work actively in the trajectory of European and international integration of Kosovo”
By “countries that have not recognized Kosovo”, he means Serbia, meaning that these actions will seriously harm the U.S.’ willingness to aid Kosovo in its deliberations with its former parent nation.
