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| Ben Hodges |
Donald Trump Junior, the son of US President Donald Trump, echoed a statement of US Senator David Perdue, in which he said that "unless Kosovo does not abolish the tariff on Serbia and is not committed to peace, then the US should reconsider its presence in Kosovo. "
But General Hodges said in a post on his social network Twitter that "this would be a mistake, as KFOR is the only anchor of stability in the region."
The US senator's statement on the withdrawal of US troops has also sparked reactions in Kosovo. President Hashim Thaci has said that the government must urgently meet US requirements to withdraw tariffs on Serbian goods.
But Kosovo Prime Minister Albin Kurti has said he does not believe US troops will withdraw from Kosovo.
The United States has taken the lead in the dialogue between Kosovo and Serbia, after the EU-mediated one has been interrupted in 2018 due to the imposition of a tariff on Serbian goods by the Kosovo authorities - Hajradinaj Government.This would be a mistake...KFOR is the lone anchor of stability in the region. Pulling them out now, before agreements have been implemented, would be like pulling all your starters in the middle of a comeback in the 4th quarter, just before you take the lead. https://t.co/didOtoOJwU— Ben Hodges (@general_ben) March 10, 2020
Under the mediation of US Presidential Envoy Richard Grenell, two agreements have been reached in recent months between Kosovo and Serbia: on the railway and the airline.
But the United States are pressing Pristina to lift the tariff altogether, in order to pave the way for a comprehensive agreement between Kosovo and Serbia.