Letter from Washington: US Seeks to Score Material Goals in the Balkans

Greetings from America, which this month celebrated 250 years of independence from the British crown under a president who has called himself a king – and is also seen that way by the many thousands of people who have joined the “No Kings” protests in the US. Donald Trump would not even allow the kings of football, the Spanish national team who won the World Cup, to enjoy their rightful moment on the throne this month. Instead, he lingered on stage after presenting them with the trophy at the stadium in New Jersey. An awkward situation was averted by Trump’s pal, FIFA President Gianni Infantino, who pulled the US leader aside, suggesting that it was time for him to step away. Meanwhile, beside the footballing euphoria, the US-Iran memorandum of understanding has turned out to be more of a major misunderstanding. The war has escalated, bringing new American casualties and higher fuel prices, while reopening an uncomfortable question: what is the actual endgame? If the goal is to prevent Iran from developing nuclear weapons, to prevent further escalation in the Middle East, why is the United States simultaneously signing an agreement that would allow Saudi Arabia to develop the very same capability? While all this has been happening, the Trump administration’s policy towards the Balkans has started to become increasingly clear. It is moving more aggressively into areas it considers important, such as energy, defence and infrastructure, while trying to push Russia, China and the European Union out of those spheres. Washington does not appear to be choosing its friends based on how developed their democracies are. Nor is it particularly troubled when someone in the Balkans talks about “ethnic cleansing”.