TRUMP WOULD RESPECT REALPOLITIK IN THE BALKANS

BELGRADE, OCTOBER 14 /SRNA/ – Career Serbian diplomat Zoran Milivojević told SRNA that the administration of US President Donald Trump, if it were to take an interest in the Balkans as it has in the Middle East, would respect realpolitik, and it is perfectly clear that nothing can be achieved in this region by ignoring the Serbian factor, Serbia, and Republika Srpska.

The fact that no results can be achieved by force or by ignoring the Serbian factor, Milivojević said, has been demonstrated over the past ten or more years, from attempts to revise the Dayton Peace Accords to the imposition of so-called Kosovo statehood. "That is now completely clear, and Trump understands that," Milivojević stated. He emphasized that if America were to engage in the region and the Balkans came next, it should be understood that this region would then be part of a broader outcome starting with the end of the Russia-Ukraine war and implying a new division of spheres of influence. Milivojević believes that in the case of this region, Trump's administration would respect realpolitik and focus on what can actually produce results, rather than what would be imposed without effect. A second methodological approach, Milivojević says, involves using the economic-political mechanisms that Trump applied in the Middle East, as well as through the Washington Agreement regarding Serbia, Kosovo and Metohija, which he intends to apply in the Russia-Ukraine context. This approach entails seeking solutions through political and economic means based on pragmatism and realpolitik. "That means respecting the interests of all parties in one way or another and, of course, taking into account America’s own interests in the global distribution of power," Milivojević said. The third and perhaps most important model, he noted, concerns respect for traditional values, which the new American administration and Trump insist upon. This is extremely important, as it opposes a globalist, ultra-liberal approach that cannot produce real solutions. He added that this approach implies politically seeking solutions while respecting identity, roots, and tradition, if one truly wants to resolve the problem. Commenting on the fact that the presidents of Republika Srpska and Serbia, Milorad Dodik and Aleksandar Vučić, praised Trump's commitment to peace and dialogue, whereas this was not clearly echoed by Bosniak politicians in the region, Milivojević noted that the Bosniaks in this context were not aligned with the US or Israel. He said that the Bosniaks represented everything seen in Europe, and emphasized that this is not only about supporting the Palestinians but about awakening and mobilizing the Islamic factor in the old continent, with Palestine being the pretext. "This signals that they are present and have their own interests that do not align, especially not with Western Europe and us, who are in Europe—a continent of states and nations that are Christian, or need not be Christian, but are secular in every sense," Milivojević pointed out. Speaking about Trump's Middle East peace agreements, Milivojević said this is good news in terms of ceasefire, but it is peace imposed by US authority, which was the only force able to act toward Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Israel. However, there is little reason for optimism that this will be lasting peace. He emphasized that without resolving the Palestinian issue, lasting peace is impossible, as the two opposing sides remain "on the scene," meaning the hardline positions of both Israel and Hamas persist. "Much blood has been shed and many lives lost for anything to be guaranteed, yet people must live side by side when no Arab country was willing to accept the Palestinians. This is a forced solution, and the only positive is that direct conflict has stopped, saving civilian lives," Milivojević said. Milivojević added that Trump has justified his image upon coming to power in the US, as someone committed to peace, a stance he maintains regarding Russia and Ukraine as well. He noted that Trump certainly prefers peace over war, because his vision of the world is based on strengthening America through economic instruments of power, unlike some military solutions, since Trump is "a man on the ground" who understands that a war against major rivals cannot be won without risks that would be costly to the US.