Trump will organize a meeting at the White House between the presidents of Serbia and Kosovo

After Donald Trump declared his intention to reach a breakthrough in the long-running conflict between Kosovo and Serbia, the two presidents will meet at the White House later this month. However, the meeting has caused surprise in European capitals and raised fears that a rushed agreement between Belgrade and Pristina could be linked to a land swap, which could lead to unpredictable consequences.

If the initiative succeeds, it would be a kind of slap in the face for the European Union and its longstanding efforts to normalize relations between Belgrade and Pristina, said Corina Stratulat of the European Policy Center in Brussels.

While U.S. Representative Richard Grenell said that the White House meeting will focus on economic issues and no general agreement should be expected, some experts doubt this statement. Many political and economic issues between Kosovo and Serbia are closely linked, so it is difficult to exclude the political aspect from the negotiations.

Unlike previous negotiations that the European Union has hosted, this meeting completely excludes its participation. This drew criticism from experts and politicians, including Carl Bildt, former prime minister of Sweden and chairman of the European Council on Foreign Affairs.

However, despite all these factors, experts believe that the issues of timing and Trump's possible re-election make the likelihood of reaching a comprehensive solution minimal. Biden's possible presence in the White House could lead to a completely different position on this issue.

In addition, it should be noted that Serbia continues to balance its relations with Russia and the European Union. Moscow fears an increase in U.S. or NATO influence in the event of an agreement between Kosovo and Serbia, so the Russian president reminded Vucic of the need for the UN Security Council to approve the agreement. Vucic is also set to meet with Putin soon after his visit to the United States.

Overall, negotiations between Kosovo and Serbia have been going on for a long time, and the new meeting at the White House could have an impact on the future fate of the region.