Grenell: US has tools to prevent escalation, strongly worded letters do not work against Kurti

WASHINGTON - Former US special envoy for the Belgrade-Pristina dialogue Richard Grenell says the US has the "tools" to prevent an escalation in Kosovo-Metohija.

In a reaction to a statement released by the US embassy in Pristina following the closure of Post of Serbia branch offices in the north of Kosovo-Metohija, Grenell said "strongly worded letters aren’t working."

"Jeff (Hovenier, US ambassador in Pristina), my friend and former colleague, this is another strongly worded letter. You are tougher than this. Your strongly worded letters aren’t working.

I realise the current White House ignores the Balkans and Kamala Harris doesn’t know where the Balkans are… but this is unacceptable. Albin Kurti is the problem and everyone knows it.

Too many Biden-Harris Administration officials and European officials are simply too weak - Kurti isn’t remotely deterred by the statements (and you don’t even say his name)," Grenell wrote in a post on X.

"You have tools to give consequences - use them now before there’s an escalation," Grenell concluded.

In the statement, the US embassy in Pristina said the US government was "deeply disappointed by the unilateral, uncoordinated actions taken by the Government of Kosovo against branches of Serbian post offices in the north of Kosovo."

"Kosovo’s uncoordinated actions put Kosovan citizens and KFOR soldiers at greater risk, unnecessarily escalate regional tensions, and undermine Kosovo’s reputation as a reliable international partner," it also said.

The so-called Kosovo Police shut down nine Post of Serbia branch offices in the north of Kosovo-Metohija on Monday.