US Senator admits: Donald Trump is interested in the solution of the Kosovo issue!
- We want to do everything we can to encourage and enable President Vucic and officials from Kosovo to resolve the longstanding dispute and reach an agreement that will allow stability in the Balkans - says Johnson.
US president Donald Trump is interested in the solution of the Kosovo issue, says Republican senator and chairman of the Senate Subcommittee on Europe, Ron Johnson.
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He told for the Voice of America that the president Trump is personally interested in the solution of the Kosovo issue, commenting on the statement that the US policy towards Serbia and Kosovo has changed.
- It is. This administration is interested in that. I traveled to the Balkans three times because Assistant Secretary of State Wess Mitchell encouraged me. People in Serbia and Kosovo should be sure that this administration, the Senate, and Congress are interested in helping to reach a solution. You know, President Trump has a slightly different approach to solving some issues, thinking beyond the established framework. But, we see how important the Balkans is and how important it is to stabilize the situation - Johnson said.
He reiterated that the US does not set up red lines when it comes to resolving the issue of Kosovo and that they encourage leaders to agree, but stressed that it would not be easy or quick.
- We want to do everything we can to encourage and enable President Vucic and officials from Kosovo to resolve the longstanding dispute and reach an agreement that will allow stability in the Balkans - says Johnson.
On a question, how is it possible to reach a solution if the tensions arise so often, Johnson answers:
- We hope that we can reduce these incidents to a minimum, for the two leaders to continue the dialogue and search for a solution. The US is there to support them and to give them space. The two governments must reach an agreement and no one can impose anything on them.
The US, Johnson repeats what he said in Belgrade recently, has no red lines when it comes to resolving Kosovo's issue, it is open to "territorial corrections" and does set any time limits on the agreement. The US has been representing this for the past few months, and not from the beginning of the Trump's mandate.
Commenting on the unstable political situation in Macedonia, where the west supported the results of the referendum which didn't have enough voters, Senator Johnston said that the key now is in two prime ministers - Zoran Zaev and Alexis Tsipras and that the US will continue to support the implementation of the unpopular agreement.
They would do so as well if Vucic and Thaci reached an agreement unpopular in both countries.
Speaking about whether the West is bothered by frequent visits of Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic to Moscow, Johnson says frequent meetings between Vucic and Putin are not troubling the US.
Johnson points out that he understands Vucic's need to maintain good relations with Russia, although Russia, unlike the West, does not offer economic prosperity to Serbia.
- I have no problem with Vucic wanting to maintain good relations with Russia and to continue the dialogue with Vladimir Putin. But I think that he clearly said in which direction will the Serbian economy and society go - to the West - he said.
(Telegraf.co.uk / Tanjug)