• The Truth Must Be Told About Richard Grenell’s Political Interventions in Kosova and Their Consequences for Democracy, Albanian Interests, and U.S. Policy

Dear President Trump,

I am an Albanian American from Kosova who was forced to leave my homeland because of persecution under the Serbian regime of Slobodan Milošević. The history of the Albanian people under Serbian expansionist policies has been long and painful, marked by repression, displacement, and repeated efforts to drive Albanians from their ancestral lands.

This policy reached its tragic culmination during the 1990s, when Milošević’s forces committed grave crimes against the Albanian population of Kosova. Thanks to the decisive NATO intervention led by the United States, together with the resistance of the Kosova Liberation Army, the people of Kosova were saved from an even greater humanitarian catastrophe.

My family and I were fortunate to escape persecution and immigrate to the United States—the country of freedom, democracy, and opportunity. Like so many Albanian Americans, we have lived the American Dream.

It is precisely because we love America that we cannot remain silent when actions or statements risk damaging Kosova and its extraordinary relationship with the United States.

I belong to no political party in Kosova. I am politically independent, but I am not indifferent. I support leaders who, in my judgment, strengthen Kosova’s statehood, democracy, and the long-term interests of the Albanian people.

I am writing to you for the second time because I remain deeply concerned about Richard Grenell’s public statements and political interventions regarding Kosova.

My greatest concern is simple: Mr. Grenell’s public interventions can be mistaken for the official policy of your Administration, potentially undermining Kosova’s democratic institutions while also damaging America’s long-term strategic interests in the Balkans.

Mr. Grenell played an important role in the political developments preceding the fall of Albin Kurti’s first government in 2020, during the pandemic, while holding senior positions in your first Administration. Arben Gashi, a senior figure in the LDK, which was then governing in coalition with Kurti’s LVV, has publicly described intense pressure and a countdown connected with bringing down the government. Mr. Grenell has denied ordering such an action. Nevertheless, this episode remains a source of serious concern and debate in Kosova and among Albanian Americans.

The 2020 Washington Agreement did not produce mutual recognition between Kosova and Serbia. Kosova fulfilled its commitment regarding its embassy in Jerusalem; Serbia did not relocate its embassy there. This experience reinforced an important lesson: agreements with Belgrade must be based on reciprocity, accountability, and enforceable commitments.

Since then, Mr. Grenell has made no secret of his strong opposition to Prime Minister Albin Kurti. His repeated statements during sensitive political and electoral periods in Kosova create the impression of an effort to influence not only government policy but also the democratic choices of Kosova’s citizens.

More recently, he has publicly stated that the West does not want to work with Kurti and has made assertions concerning Kosova’s constitutional processes. But the authoritative interpretation of Kosova’s Constitution belongs to the Constitutional Court and the institutions of the Republic of Kosova—not to any foreign political figure.

Kosova must establish its institutions through the Constitution, the free vote of its citizens, and democratic compromise among elected representatives. No foreign politician—American, European, or otherwise—should substitute his or her preferences for the democratic will of Kosova’s citizens.

In this context, Richard Grenell’s open support for the group of six LDK members of Parliament who are refusing to vote for the consensus presidential candidate, Mr. Bekim Sejdiu, who emerged from the political agreement between LDK representatives and Prime Minister Kurti, is, in my view, misguided and harmful to Kosova.

It also creates the impression that Mr. Grenell is supporting the continued obstruction of the formation of Kosova’s institutions by opposition forces following free elections. Such a blockade risks destabilizing the state and creating conditions for removing Prime Minister Kurti from government not through the democratic vote of the people, but through institutional paralysis and political pressure.

This impression is further reinforced by Mr. Grenell’s statements concerning former President Hashim Thaçi and his return to Kosova. Judicial matters must remain in the hands of the competent judicial institutions and should not be used as instruments for political division, partisan mobilization, or political advantage inside Kosova.

Criticism of Prime Minister Kurti is legitimate, and he, like every other political leader, has made mistakes. But in a democracy, political power must change through the vote of the people and constitutional procedures—not through the deliberate obstruction of state institutions or outside political interventions that favor one side over another.

Mr. President,

Kosova should not be divided by outside actors into “pro-Kurti” and “anti-Kurti” camps. Governments and leaders come and go. The alliance between the American and Albanian peoples must endure.

Mr. Grenell’s political relationship with Serbian President Aleksandar Vučić and the leadership in Belgrade also deserves scrutiny. I do not wish to engage in conspiracy theories or make allegations that cannot be documented. Nevertheless, in my assessment, many of his positions and interventions have produced political effects consistent with objectives promoted by Belgrade toward Kosova.

Serbia continues to refuse recognition of the Republic of Kosova and to oppose its membership in international organizations. Political structures and groups connected to Belgrade continue to challenge Kosova’s authority, particularly in the north.

I have personally visited northern Kosova. What I saw there was very different from the picture of permanent chaos and conflict that is often presented from afar. Daily life continues, institutions function, and conditions on the ground are considerably more normal than political rhetoric might suggest.

From my personal conversations with people who live there, I have also formed the impression that many Serbian citizens primarily want security and a normal life. I have heard that some appreciate the professionalism of Kosova’s security institutions but are reluctant to say so publicly because they fear pressure connected to Belgrade. I present this as my personal experience and observation, not as a claim to speak for every Serbian citizen.

Kosova’s Serbian citizens must enjoy their full civil, political, cultural, and national rights. They deserve to live freely, safely, and equally in the Republic of Kosova, without fear of either Prishtina or political pressure from Belgrade.

My deepest concern is that statements by a high-profile American figure such as Richard Grenell may be interpreted in both Kosova and Serbia as representing your Administration even when they do not. This creates confusion, encourages destructive political forces, and risks damaging the extraordinary trust Albanians have placed in the United States for generations.

The people of Kosova love and respect America. But they have also suffered under Serbian rule for more than a century and will never accept a return to Serbian domination in any form.

Serbia may conduct sophisticated diplomacy, make promises, and seek to persuade Washington and European capitals of its Western orientation. Yet its deep historical, political, and strategic ties with Russia remain a reality that American policymakers should not ignore.

When the ambition to dominate another people confronts a people’s determination to live free, history teaches us that freedom ultimately prevails.

The people of Kosova want peace, security, prosperity, and good relations with their neighbors. They want to live freely in their own country. Despite the suffering and crimes of the past, the Albanians of Kosova do not seek revenge.

They seek justice.

President Trump,

You have repeatedly spoken of preventing wars and preserving peace in the Balkans. However, lasting peace cannot be achieved by weakening Kosova or by creating false hopes that Serbia can ever regain control over it.

Peace can only be built upon the reality that the Republic of Kosova is a free, independent, and sovereign state, and that Albanians and Serbs must build their future as neighbors—not as rulers and subjects.

Europe has struggled for years to resolve the conflict between Kosova and Serbia. The United States remains the nation with the greatest authority and influence to help achieve a just and lasting peace.

I therefore respectfully ask you to ensure that your Administration’s policy toward Kosova is determined by the official institutions of the United States and by America’s strategic interests, while respecting Kosova’s sovereignty, democratic institutions, and the will of its people.

I also respectfully ask your Administration to make clear that the personal statements of any individual, regardless of his political prominence or connections, should not automatically be interpreted as official United States policy.

I know that this letter may not please Mr. Grenell. But I rely upon one of the most sacred rights my adopted country has given me: freedom of speech.

As an American citizen of Albanian origin, I believe I have both the right and the moral responsibility to speak when I believe the interests of America, Kosova, and peace in the Balkans may be at risk.

Throughout history, America has played a decisive role in supporting the Albanian people—from defending the existence of the Albanian state to leading the NATO intervention that saved the people of Kosova in 1999.

Albanians remain among the most pro-American people in the world. This friendship does not belong to one government, one political party, or one leader. It has been built through history, sacrifice, freedom, and gratitude.

The Albanian people hope and trust that your Administration will continue this proud American tradition.

God bless the United States of America!

God bless the Albanian nation!

Respectfully,

Agim Aliçkaj

September 4, 2026