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Kosovo - US Relations

Kosovo declared its independence on February 17, 2008, beginning a new chapter after almost 10 years of UN administration following NATO intervention in 1999. The United States and Kosovo established diplomatic relations on February 18, 2008. Christopher W. Dell arrived in Pristina in August 2009 as the second U.S. Ambassador to Kosovo. President Barack Obama received the letter of credence for Kosovo's first ambassador to the United States, Avni Spahiu, in November 2009.

There was a Serbian tilt in US State Department policy in the early 1990s, when then Secretary of State James Baker declared that the US had to keep Yugoslavia together at all costs and that "we didn't have a dog in that fight," giving the green light to Milosevic to continue his wars and carry on with the brutal occupation of Kosova. That Serbian tilt showed itself again when Richard Holbrooke bowed once more to Milosevic in 1995 and allowed no Albanian leader to sit at the table at the Dayton Peace Accords, even though Albanians represented the third largest ethnic group in the Balkans (after Serbs and Croats), giving Milosevic another green light to continue his brutality. The final insult was delivered by Special Balkan Envoy, Ambassador Richard Gelbard, when he deliberately called the Albanian citizen army known as the Kosova Liberation Army (KLA) a "terrorist group," when they were trying to defend their families and property from the marauding Serb paramilitaries (many of whom were criminals let out of jail and put in uniform for the occasion). The US Senate's Republican Policy Committee scrutinized the transformation in a March, 1999 report revealingly titled “The Kosovo Liberation Army: Does Clinton Policy Support Group with Terror, Drug Ties?”, which stressed that somehow the White House started to regard the Kosovo Liberation Army, formerly believed to be a terrorist formation, as partners.

The above should explain why Washington's perception of the Albanian theme evolved fundamentally in the late 1990s. In late 1998, Slobodan Milosevic unleashed a brutal police and military campaign against Kosovo. As Milosevic's ethnic cleansing campaign progressed, over 800,000 ethnic Albanians were forced from their homes in Kosovo. Intense international mediation efforts led by the United States called for Kosovo autonomy and the involvement of NATO troops to preserve the peace. Milosevic's failure to agree triggered a NATO military campaign to halt the violence in Kosovo. This campaign consisted primarily of aerial bombing from March through June 1999. After 78 days, Milosevic capitulated.

The United States considers Kosovo to be a special case that should not be seen as a precedent for other situations. The sequence and nature of events that led to Kosovo’s independence were themselves unprecedented. The measures taken by many countries to recognize and support Kosovo since February 17, 2008 further demonstrate the viability of Kosovo as a stable, multi-ethnic democracy.

The foundation of America’s policy towards Kosovo is simple and clear: First, the independence of the Republic of Kosovo is irreversible, and U.S. support for Kosovo's independence is unflinching. Second, the U.S. remains committed to the joint project of building a democratic, law-abiding, multi-ethnic, tolerant and prosperous country that will become a full member of the Trans-Atlantic and European family.

President Bush had a vision of a Europe that is whole, free, and at peace. In south central Europe, including Kosovo, this means peaceful, prosperous democracies on good terms with their neighbors, in which everyone enjoys fundamental human rights and freedom. The President's vision includes the integration of south central Europe into European and Euro-Atlantic institutions, particularly the European Union and NATO.

To spur economic growth, the United States has also encouraged Kosovo's inclusion in regional trading structures through the Stability Pact's Trade Working Group, which has been effective in linking South Central Europe together through a network of bilateral free-trade agreements. The US also sought a creative solution for Kosovo to access lending from international financial institutions, such as the World Bank and the European Investment Bank, without prejudicing a status outcome. The International Financial Institutions were unable to extend credit to Kosovo because neither the UN administration in Kosovo nor the Kosovo institutions were able to provide a sovereign guarantee.

The United States supported the approach of the U.N. Secretary General's Special representative in Kosovo, Michael Steiner, who laid out in April, 2002, eight benchmarks that should be achieved before the question of final status is addressed. This approach is called "standards before status." With strong support from the United States, Kosovo steadily emerged from the devastation of war and has taken important steps toward becoming a democratic, multiethnic society. Kosovo has made real progress in governance, law and order, ethnic relations and the economy, although challenges remain in all these areas.

Major tasks ahead to further that project include work to continue building the institutions of Kosovo’s government and society; to ensure that Kosovo remains the home of all its diverse peoples and that they all join in the process of building Europe’s newest democratic country; to further the development of the country’s economy so that all its citizens can enjoy the benefits of prosperity; to ensure that the society and government are firmly grounded in the rule of law – without which democracy cannot flourish; and finally, with the support of European partners, to cement progress in all these areas through the realization of Kosovo’s European future.

The United States continues to contribute troops to the Kosovo Force (KFOR) and staff to the ICO and EULEX missions. The United States remains committed to working with the Government of Kosovo and our international partners to strengthen Kosovo’s institutions, rule of law, and economy and build a democratic, law-abiding, multi-ethnic, tolerant, and prosperous country.

From FY 1999 up to and including FY 2011, the United States has allocated approximately $1.6 billion for Kosovo’s development assistance, including reconstruction, capacity-building, and humanitarian assistance. U.S. assistance in Kosovo continues to support private sector-led growth and good governance by strengthening civil society, economic institutions, and political processes, especially focusing on minority communities.

After addressing immediate post-conflict humanitarian needs to house, feed and tend to the basic needs of an enormous number of displaced people following the conflict, USAID helped to establish basic governing institutions, most significantly the Ministry of Economy and Finance. Initially USAID embedded technical staff at every level of Kosovo institutions. While the major work to establish these key governance institutions has successfully concluded, USAID continues to provide technical advice in a few key areas including in financial policy, judicial strengthening, and energy.

In addition to helping to establish national governing structures, USAID works in tandem with the U.S. Mission to contribute to Kosovo’s security and stability. USAID’s community-based programs have rehabilitated and built infrastructure, engaged young people and supported businesses in minority areas of Kosovo. Today these programs are focused on supporting stability by increasing the confidence of Kosovo Serbs in a viable future in Kosovo through programs focused on improved quality of life and security.

U.S. forces alone are trusted enough by Serbs and Albanians to maintain peace in one of the most volatile parts of Kosovo. Kosovo leaders also express their belief that only the United States can provide the kind of lasting leadership in Kosovo and the region that is necessary for prolonged stability.

US Ambassador to Kosovo Tracey Ann Jacobson, USAID/Kosovo Mission Director Maureen A. Shauket, and President of the Republic of Kosovo Atifete Jahjaga signed a bilateral Development Objective Grant Agreement between the two governments on December 18, 2013. The document outlines the U.S. Government commitment to provide $37,432,028 in funds to support a broad range of U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) activities in Kosovo. The funds will be used for rule of law and governance activities, activities to increase investment and private sector employment, and programs to enhance human capital in Kosovo. "The U.S. Government remains committed to supporting Kosovo's efforts to strengthen its democracy through investments that promote rule of law and boost its attractiveness as a destination for investment," said Ambassador Jacobson.

Kosovo is the country with the highest approval of US leadership in the world. But with the upcoming Trump presidency, Kosovars feared they would lose US support for their fragile state. Many felt that whatever dim prospects there were for official UN recognition they had been extinguished by the election of Donald Trump. Serbs supported Donald Trump. People in the North were hopeful that Trump will help them make Kosovo a part of Serbia again.

US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson reaffirmed US support for Kosovo 15 February 2017. "The United States remains committed to helping Kosovo succeed, and we will continue to work with its leaders and people in the pursuit of peace and prosperity," Tillerson said. "The United States values its strong friendship with Kosovo based on mutual aspirations for stability, peace and prosperity for all of our citizens. We applaud the progress the people of Kosovo have made in developing democratic, multiethnic institutions".