Episode Notes:

On March 25, Kosovo’s parliament dismissed the new government of Prime Minister Albin Kurti through a no-confidence vote. Kurti’s tenure lasted less than two months, and the official reason for the move was a disagreement over whether to declare a state of emergency in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. However, others believe Kurti was removed because he fell out of favor with the United States over his hardline stance toward a peace deal with Serbia. Richard Grenell — the special presidential envoy for Serbia and Kosovo peace negotiations, acting director of national intelligence, and U.S. ambassador to Germany — is believed to be particularly keen on finalizing a deal between Kosovo and Serbia, and publicly criticized Kurti via Twitter in late February.

Valerie Hopkins — the Southeast Europe correspondent for the Financial Times who has reported on Kosovo and the Balkans for over a decade, and interviewed Albin Kurti last December — joins the Warcast to explain political dynamics in Kosovo, the current state of negotiations between Kosovo and Serbia, and what the current crisis means for Kosovo, the region, and American foreign policy.

[ 01:27 ] Why was Kurti dismissed?

[ 07:02 ] Politically, where does Kosovo go from here?

[ 09:30 ] What are the implications for U.S.-Kosovo ties?