Since the beginning of the Serbia-Kosovo talks in Brussels, the United States has taken the position of an observer.
Pressed by The Pavlovic Today if Secretary Blinken is going to get directly involved, State Department Spokesman Ned Price said on Monday that Blinken “does not hesitate” to get involved when he is needed.
“If we feel that the Secretary’s engagement over the phone or in-person is the indispensable ingredient to getting something like that over the finish line, Secretary Blinken doesn’t hesitate to pick up the phone and to have those conversations.”
Escobar works for the American people, but he sounds like he works for the EU.
Richard Grenell
The news The Pavlovic Today broke made rounds in the international community as the EU did not set a date for the next meeting between Kosovo’s PM Kurti and Serbian President Vucic after the breakdown in Brussels talks on August 18, 2022.
The State Department then sent DAS Gabriel Escobar to Belgrade and Pristina to “put out an immediate fire” and “assist” the European counterparts.
Speaking to the local TV network in Belgrade, Escobar reiterated the State Department position that the United States is “not a party in the EU-facilitated dialog.” The role of the US, Escobar claimed, echoing the State Department position, is to “support” the talks.
“All of the proposals and all of the recommendation processes are coming out of the European Union,” said DAS Gabriel Escobar.
the pavlovic today Special Coverage: Serbia-kosovo talks
“No Comprehensive Solution Without President Biden’s Involvement,” Say Sources In Serbia-Kosovo Negotiations
While Ned Price was adamant that Sec Blinken would get involved if need be, Gabriel Escobar told a local reporter a different story.
Responding to a question from a local reporter in Belgrade about Ned Price’s comments to The Pavlovic Today regarding the possibility of Sec Blinken’s direct involvement in the Serbia-Kosovo talks, Escobar said that the Secretary’s direct involvement is “not necessary” at this stage.
Reacting to the DAS Gabriel Escobar’s statement, Richard Grenell, former Special Presidential Envoy for Serbia and Kosovo, who brokered the historic Kosovo-Serbia Normalization Agreement 2020, reiterated to The Pavlovic Today his belief that President Biden has to get off the sidelines and forge a solution acceptable to both parties.
“The American taxpayer has invested more than $1 billion into Kosovo. And billions more into the Balkan region. We invest in making the US stronger,” said Grenell. “Escobar works for the American people, but he sounds like he works for the EU. American diplomats should be demanding that Kosovo and Serbia create the conditions for new jobs and growing economies – and leave European politics aside. If Escobar insists on simply whispering to the EU as an observer, then he should tell the EU to do more in Ukraine.“
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A Source in Washington DC who spoke to The Pavlovic Today on condition of anonymity said that “it doesn’t make sense for the Biden administration to say we will take the lead in Ukraine but we can’t take the lead in the Balkans. The Europeans are trying to demand that they take the lead in the Balkans but do very little in Ukraine.”
