UNMIK Media Observer, Afternoon Edition, December 20, 2025

Albanian Language Media:

Trump and Kosovo (Radio Free Europe)
Haradinaj: If govt isn't changed, problems with Trump administration (media)
Italian troops from KFOR’s reserves complete arrival in Kosovo (media)
Osmani receives British ambassador, calls for increased cooperation for Kosovo towards NATO (media)
Osmani: Turkiye is strategic partner and strong supporter of Kosovo (RTK)
Elezi: Deadline for political party observers ends today (RTK)
Prosecution collecting information on meeting that elected new IMC chief (Koha)

Serbian Language Media:

Jevtic: Serbian List’s appeal rejection the continuation of Kurti's plan to exclude SL from the electoral process (Tanjug, Vecernje Novosti, Kosovo Online)
Serbian Democracy informs public that ECAP rejected their complaint (social media)
Trial of Milorad Djokovic from Vitomirica continues (Radio KIM)
The second semester begun in Serbian schools in Kosovo, part of the educational workers stopped working in schools in Serbia (KiM radio, Beta, media)
Part of Serbian education workers begin one-day work stoppage (N1)

Opinion:

What can we expect from the second Trump administration? (Kosovo 2.0)
Only education, health and culture remained in the Serbian system in Kosovo: There is a fear of a new exodus of Serbs south of the Ibar (Danas)

International Media:

Kosovo’s Media Commission elects new head amid claims of political interference (PI)
Turkish soldiers train snipers for Kosovo security forces (Daily Sabah)
Sanctions stepped up in the Western Balkans, but with mixed results (intellinews.com)
Arms exports from Serbia to Britain linked to blacklisted dealer (BIRN)

Albanian Language Media

Trump and Kosovo (Radio Free Europe)

The news website recalls that U.S. President-elect Donald Trump who will take up office today, during his previous presidency, enabled the signing of an agreement between Kosovo and Serbia on the normalization of economic relations, in September 2020. One of the main points of the agreement which was fully implemented was the mutual recognition between Kosovo and Israel. Although many other points were not implemented and the parties trade accusations for this, Trump said it was “great progress” in relations between the two sides. Trump said at the time that he was proud of the two leaders” referring to then Kosovo Prime Minister Avdullah Hoti and Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic. Richard Grenell, at the time U.S. special envoy for the Kosovo-Serbia dialogue, played an important role in reaching the agreement. For his achievement, he was awarded the National Security Medal by Trump in December 2020.

There were also other officials in the first Trump administration that supported ideas for resolving the dispute between Kosovo and Serbia. One of them was John Bolton, then national security advisor at the White House, who did not rule out territorial corrections between Kosovo and Serbia. “We won’t be an obstacle, and I don’t think that anyone in Europe would be against it if the two parties in conflict manage to reach a satisfactory agreement,” Bolton said in August 2018.

In the new administration, Trump chose Mike Waltz, a Republican, as national security advisor.

Trump has also chosen Marco Rubio as Secretary of State, who in his career was several times focused on the Balkans. In 2022, he joined a group of senators, who sent a letter to then U.S. President Joe Biden to encourage him to focus on the Balkans. “The Balkans is a volatile region in Europe and although Ukraine needs our permanent attention, we cannot lose sight of this region, where NATO for a long time now has played an important role in protecting peace,” the letter noted.

Political observers are reserved when they talk about the approach that Trump may have vis-à-vis Kosovo in the next four years. Kosovo is currently in a campaign for the February 9 parliamentary elections, there hasn’t been any progress in terms of the tense relations with Serbia, and Kosovo’s progress toward membership in Euro-Atlantic structures has stalled.

Former U.S. diplomat, Cameron Munter, said in an earlier interview with Radio Free Europe that Trump’s return to the White house will impose a change of strategy in the dialogue between Kosovo and Serbia, because according to him, Trump wants an agreement. “His goal is not to get Serbs and Kosovars in the European Union. His goal is to do what is best for the United States, to make America great again,” Munter, a former ambassador to Serbia, said.

Frank Wisner, former U.S. envoy for the Kosovo status, said in an interview with the news website that he does not rule out the possibility of Trump looking into the division of Kosovo as a quick solution to the continuous conflict with Serbia. “If he sees an agreement with [Serbian President Aleksandar] Vucic that suits him, he will not wait for Kosovo to agree. He will be transactional, in search of an agreement, in search of progress, in search of something that makes him look good. Kosovo needs to be wise and make sure that it has strong backing from the Europeans, but its path could become difficult,” he argued.

David Kanin, professor of European Studies at John Hopkins University in Washington, said the first Trump administration was pro-Serbian and that Serbian officials felt respected by Trump. “The losers are as always America’s clients: the Bosniaks and Kosovars. But Trump alone should not be blamed for this. For 30 years we have been forcing Bosniaks and Kosovars to make concessions to their opponents – ever since the Dayton Agreement,” he said, adding that Trump is however unpredictable.

Kosovo President Vjosa Osmani and Prime Minister Albin Kurti congratulated Trump on his victory, saying that the United States is an important ally, friend and partner of Kosovo.

Ten days before Trump took up office, Osmani said that Kosovo and the United States would soon finalize an agreement on strategic dialogue with the aim of furthering cooperation in different areas.

Haradinaj: If govt isn’t changed, problems with Trump administration (media)

Leader of the Alliance for the Future of Kosovo (AAK) and candidate for Kosovo Prime Minister, Ramush Haradinaj, is attending the inauguration of the U.S. President Donald Trump. “I believe it is very important that I am here, and I am holding discussions with members of the new administration, members of Congress, and people that have already assumed their responsibilities. I believe that this week we will set Kosovo’s agenda to the new Trump administration and this administration will hear our vision of developments in the region, which is clearly for a strategic partnership with the United States, close bilateral strategic relations and a direct membership in NATO,” he said.

According to Haradinaj, if the current government of Kosovo is not changed there will be difficulties with the Trump administration. “We need to do our homework. If we don’t change this government we will have difficulties with this [the U.S.] administration,” he said.

Italian troops from KFOR’s reserves complete arrival in Kosovo (media)

Italian troops from KFOR’s reserves completed their arrival in theatre, in support of the NATO-led KFOR mission, reinforcing KFOR’s presence in Kosovo. Their deployment is temporary. In the next months, more than 200 soldiers, from the Italian mechanized infantry brigade “Sassari”, will carry out a range of activities, together with KFOR troops and will be deployed in response to any relevant developments in the security situation including during the election period, KFOR said in a Facebook post. KFOR continues to implement its long-standing UN mandate - based on UN Security Council Resolution 1244 of 1999 - by contributing to a safe and secure environment for all people and communities living in Kosovo, at all times and impartially, in close coordination with the Kosovo Police and the European Union Mission on Rule of Law in Kosovo (EULEX), in accordance with their respective roles as security responders.

Osmani receives British ambassador, calls for increased cooperation for Kosovo towards NATO (media)

Kosovo President, Vjosa Osmani, received today the Ambassador of the United Kingdom to Kosovo, Jonathan Hargreaves. "The discussions focused on close bilateral cooperation in the field of security and defense, appreciating the United Kingdom's continued support for institutional reforms and the promotion of the rule of law, so President Osmani thanked the United Kingdom for its support so far in the field of defense," the presidency statement reads.

Furthermore, Osmani stressed the need to increase the level of strategic cooperation in this field, as a step towards Kosovo's preparation for NATO membership.

Osmani: Turkiye is strategic partner and strong supporter of Kosovo (RTK)

Kosovo President, Vjosa Osmani, received in a meeting the Turkish diplomat accredited in Kosovo, Sabri Tunc Angıli. They discussed the latest political developments in Kosovo, as well as the further deepening of relations. As reported in the presidential communiqué, during the meeting, Osmani appreciated Turkiye's continued support and friendly relations, emphasizing that Turkiye remains a strategic partner and strong supporter of Kosovo.

It also states that President Osmani stressed the need for continued Turkish support for Kosovo for membership in international organizations, further recognitions and continued deepening of cooperation in the field of defense. As reported, the two interlocutors agreed to deepen cooperation and advance the common interests, strengthening friendly ties and long-term cooperation.

Elezi: Deadline for political party observers ends today (RTK)

The spokesperson of the Central Election Commission, Valmir Elezi said that the extended deadline for certified political parties for the February 9 elections to present their observers ends today. He also informed that the deadlines for accreditation of media, NGOs, governmental - intergovernmental organizations, representatives of foreign countries and international organizations are continuing. According to him, these are the other deadlines that are continuing: The deadline for submitting the request for accreditation of observers of local NGOs will end on January 25, 2025; The deadline for submitting applications for accreditation of observers of governmental - intergovernmental organizations will end on January 25, 2025; The deadline for submitting applications for accreditation of local and international media will end on February 4, 2025; The deadline for submitting applications for accreditation of observers of foreign country representations will end on January 25, 2025; The deadline for submitting applications for accreditation of observers of international organizations will end on January 25, 2025.

To facilitate the application, the CEC has functionalized the online platform: https://apliko.kqz-ks.org/

Prosecution collecting information on meeting that elected new IMC chief (Koha)

Chief prosecutor of the Basic Prosecution in Pristina, Zejnullah Gashi, confirmed to the news website today that they are collecting information if members of the Independent Media Commission committed an offence on Friday when they changed the commission’s working regulation enabling the election of the new chairman, Besnik Berisha, before the mandate of the previous chair expired.

“At the same time, we are looking whether this is in our competencies or the competencies of the Special Prosecution … We are in the phase of collecting and assessing information from the legal aspect. We have not initiated an investigation,” he said.

The news website notes that the Association of Independent Broadcast Media of Kosovo (AMPEK) criticized the way the working regulation was changed, saying that this raises serious concerns in terms of transparency and legality. “Changing the regulation of the Independent Media Commission through a fast procedure and without previous information raises major concerns about the transparency and legitimacy of the process. This action which marks a deviation from common practices, paved the way to the election of the new chair of the IMC without respecting standard procedures, and by creating doubts about the motives and integrity of the process,” the association said.

Other representatives of civil society opposed the action and said they would initiate legal procedures with regards to the latest developments at the IMC. Meanwhile, IMC officials said on Friday that everything was in line with the legislation and regulations and that they took the model for the changed regulation from the Constitutional Court.

Serbian Language Media

Jevtic: Serbian List’s appeal rejection the continuation of Kurti's plan to exclude SL from the electoral process (Tanjug, Vecernje Novosti, Kosovo Online)

The vice-president of Serbian List, Dalibor Jevtic said today that rejection of Serbian List’s appeal on the decision of composition of the electoral committees by the Election Complaints and Appeals Panel in Pristina is a continuation of everything that Albin Kurti is doing in order to maximally exclude the Serbian List from the electoral process, reported Tanjug, citing Vecernje Novosti.

"Rejecting the appeal from the Electoral Panel is just a continuation of everything that Albin Kurti is doing in order to maximally exclude Serbian List from the process and all procedures and to help Nenad Rasic's party to get more mandates on election day, through stealing votes," Jevtic told Vecernje Novosti.

Serbian Democracy informs public that ECAP rejected their complaint (social media)

Serbian Democracy said in a post on social media that Election Complaints and Appeals Panel (ECAP) rejected their appeal on composition of polling committees.

“We inform the public that the Electoral Complaints and Appeals Panel rejected the appeal of Serbian Democracy regarding the unequal representation of members in election committees.

This decision of the ECAP will significantly affect the legitimacy and legality of the election process, because in this way the party of Nenad Rašić is given a disproportionate number of members in the electoral committees, which is contrary to the rules of the Central Election Commission”, Serbian Democracy said in a post.

Trial of Milorad Djokovic from Vitomirica continues (Radio KIM)

The trial of Milorad Djokovic from Vitomirica continued today by hearing the witnesses of prosecution, Radio KIM reported. Djokovic is accused of allegedly committing war crimes in the village of Ozdrim, near Pec in 1999.

In a first hearing, the witnesses said they do not have direct knowledge of the acts Djokovic is accused of, his lawyer Vasilije Arsic said. He added the testimonies of the witnesses heard today, who are of Albanian ethnicity, confirmed the claims of his defence, that Djokovic is innocent.

Djokovic’s another lawyer, Dejan Vasic said as the court process continues, both the prosecution and judicial panel are becoming aware that indictment and all other events related to this case, are the act of one man, who is instrumentalizing witnesses and persuades them to accuse Djokovic of having seen him somewhere.

“I think (this would become clear) by the end of the proceeding, if not already. We hope and we will try to have the truth revealed as soon as possible, so this man, who is neither guilty nor responsible, is released and can go back to his home”, Vasic said.

Milorad Djokovic was arrested on June 27, 2022 under suspicion of allegedly committing war crimes in 1999. He was working as a civil register in Gorazdevac village and has never left Pec municipality. He was the only Serb living in Vitomirica village and had property related disputes with local Albanians and Pec municipal administration, which attempted to deny him the right to use the property in Pec.

His case began when he started resolving his property related issues in Vitomirica. One of the witnesses claimed that Djokovic allegedly took over the property of his great grandfather and then problems started, Radio KIM recalled.

"First they wanted to take away his property, which they eventually succeeded in by force. The municipality of Pec took it away from him without any compensation, although this was contested before the Administrative Court in Pristina. We got a verdict in favour of Djokovic, however, they later demolished his house that he started constructing in Vitomirica. And that impression leads us to suspecting everything started from there", lawyer Arsic said earlier.

The second semester begun in Serbian schools in Kosovo, part of the educational workers stopped working in schools in Serbia (KiM radio, Beta, media)

In schools in Kosovo that attend classes according to the plan and program of the Ministry of Education of the Republic of Serbia, the second semester has begun, KiM radio reports today.

The first semester for primary and secondary school students in Serbia, as well as for students in Serbian communities in Kosovo, ended on December 24, so the students returned to their classrooms after four weeks.

Although classes have started in schools in Kosovo, it is uncertain whether it will be the same in all other schools in Serbia.

The Minister of Education, Slavica Djukic Dejanovic, sent a letter to the principals of primary and secondary schools, in which she called on all employees in education to do everything together to start classes regularly.

Beta agency reported that a part of the education workers, who do not agree with the agreement of the representative education unions with the government of Serbia, announced suspension of the work the first day of the second semester in primary and secondary schools throughout Serbia, and a protest was announced in Belgrade at 11 am.

The employees of the schools who declared that they are going on a one-day work stoppage, cited support for student protests and demands as one of the reasons.

The Independent Union of Educational Workers of Serbia, which was not among the four representative unions that negotiated with the government regarding salary increases, is one of those that called for a work stoppage, and according to their statements, there will be no classes in about 35 percent of schools. The exact number of schools in which there will be a complete suspension of work, as well as those in which classes will be partial - currently is unknown.

According to the President of Serbia, Aleksandar Vucic, today 82 percent of schools will have classes as normal.

Part of Serbian education workers begin one-day work stoppage (N1)

Part of the Serbian education workers, who disagree with the agreement recently reached between major education unions and the Serbian Government, suspended work on Monday, the first day of the second school semester, N1 reported.

The stoppage will affect primary and secondary schools across Serbia, with striking workers citing support for student protests and their demands as key reasons for their decision. The Independent Union of Serbian Education Workers, which was not among the unions that negotiated the pay raise with the government, is leading the stoppage. According to the union, classes will be suspended in approximately 35 percent of Serbian schools.

The union has organized a protest rally titled “Educators Stand with Students” in central Belgrade for 11 am Monday. Their statement reads: “Education workers want to demonstrate their dignity, determination, and courage to stand up against authorities who offer them poisoned gifts while simultaneously robbing and humiliating them. Education workers also want to unequivocally stand with students in the fight for the rule of law and against systemic corruption. Far more important than the start of the second semester is the need for comprehensive changes in Serbia“.

Read more at: https://shorturl.at/9PbCk

Only education, health and culture remained in the Serbian system in Kosovo: There is a fear of a new exodus of Serbs south of the Ibar (Danas)

After recent incursion of Kosovo police special forces into the seats of Serbian temporary local governments in Kosovo and Metohija south of the Ibar River, which is a repeat of the scenario that was carried out in 2024 in the north, in the entire southern Kosovo, under the UN protectorate since June 1999, only health, education and culture remained in the Serbian system, reported Danas yesterday.

Police, judiciary, civil protection, energy, telephony, natural riches and mineral resources, property of the state of Serbia and its citizens, municipalities... in accordance with ''the Brussels and other agreements were either extinguished or assimilated into the constitutional and legal system of the self-proclaimed Kosovo state''.

The Kosovo framework also envisages the so far phantom "community of Serbian municipalities" that official Belgrade insists on, so it is expected that Serbian healthcare, education, and culture will still be "merged" in the Kosovo system. Are the guarantees of the President of Serbia, Aleksandar Vucic that he repeated for the umpteenth time in person, and also through the head of the Office for KiM, Petar Petkovic, that all those who have lost their jobs will receive wages, the most that official Belgrade can do, or will Pristina's latest action initiate new mass emigration of Serbs south of the Ibar?

- First, it should be said that something like this did not happen before the French-German plan and the Ohrid Agreement, which Aleksandar Vucic accepted, and the "contractor" was Albin Kurti. Vucic is both legally and morally responsible for what is happening now. If he did not accept what is written in these agreements, then let him say what he will do now. Statements that people who have lost their jobs will receive money are pure hypocrisy and insolence - Dejan Mirovic, a professor at the Faculty of Law at the University of Pristina, whose seat has been moved to the northern part of Mitrovica, told Danas.

When it comes to the danger of a new emigration of Serbs south of the Ibar, Professor Mirovic assesses that "Vucic succeeded in what neither the 1999 NATO aggression against the FRY, nor the 2004 pogrom of the Kosovo Albanians against the Serbs that the Serbs in Kosovo and Metohija, especially in the enclaves, have survived and stayed in the south of the province''.

"Vucic stabbed the Serbian people in Kosovo and Metohija in the back. After the action in Banjska in September 2023, 20 percent of the remaining Serbs emigrated from the north of Kosovo, but those south of the Ibar managed to stop such processes. Now, according to the information I have, estates and houses are being sold south of the Ibar," said Professor Mirovic. When it comes to the status of healthcare, culture and education in Kosovo, the idea of integrating them into the Kosovo system through "CSM", according to Dejan Mirovic, will only come true when "so-called Kosovo enters the EU".

- According to the plan for the CSM, whose authors are the advisers of French President Macron and German Chancellor Schulz, and which Vucic agreed to, the formation of the CSM is related to the entry of the so-called Kosovo into the EU. Even if it is formed before that, the CSM will not have executive powers - it will be a kind of combination of a meeting room, a counseling center, and a liaison office - according to Professor Dejan Mirovic.

Nenad Rasic, the Minister of Return and Communities in Kosovo Government, explained to Danas that Serbs in Kosovo, who are excluded from all agreements in what he calls the "Bermuda Triangle" between Belgrade, Pristina and the EU, must be ready for all variants because "all processes are directed towards the total sovereignty of Kosovo over all institutions".

- When it comes to CSM, there are various versions, and it is no longer known what the real information is. In the last text that arrived from Germany a year ago, there were a lot of undefined things in the area of health and education. Nobody asks the Serbs from Kosovo and Metohija or includes them in the negotiations, and it is mostly about our fate. We are not between a "hammer and an anvil" but between "two hammers" - Belgrade and Pristina, which behave like 'deaf telephones', while the EU is only playing wise - says Minister Rasic.

He expected in the first months after the parliamentary elections in Kosovo, scheduled for February 9, the West would start implementing a plan that "will not be easy at all for the Serbs in Kosovo and Metohija that await difficult moments in 2025 and 2026, which will be turning points." Rasic believed that "the Serbian community should organize itself well, study Kosovo laws and find within them the best model for the organization of healthcare, education and other institutions."

- The worst thing would be for Belgrade to shut down all the remaining Serbian institutions overnight because the problem here will be how to implement them within the Kosovo system - warns Rasic. Regarding the KPS action south of the Ibar two days ago, Rasic said that the Kosovo Ministry of Internal Affairs was responsible for it, but that "as part of the pre-election activities of Self-Determination, some moves are not the most rational."

- This was not the first such action, the shutdown of parallel institutions is part of the first Brussels agreement, which has other parts that Pristina has not implemented yet. Western diplomats do not dispute Kosovo sovereignty over its entire territory, but they are dissatisfied with the fact that they were not informed before these actions. The action south of the Ibar was not a surprise, there were also announcements, but Belgrade and Pristina did not listen to each other. As for the Post of Serbia, its license expired a few years ago, and it was not renewed, because the authorities in Belgrade did not allow it - Minister Rasic explained.

When asked whether the latest events, and especially the announcement of the "drowning" of healthcare and education into Kosovo's systems, which was a "red line" for the majority of Serbs in Kosovo, could lead to new mass emigration, Nenad Rasic replied that the Serbian healthcare system in Kosovo, due to lack of medicines and equipment, ''it has not been functioning properly for several years, and the directors of those institutions refuse to talk with Kosovo Government , even though at the invitation of Belgrade they participate in the Kosovo elections and fight for mandates in the Kosovo Parliament".

International

Kosovo’s Media Commission elects new head amid claims of political interference (PI)

The Kosovo Independent Media Commission has elected Besnik Berisha as the new chairman following claims of political and illegal interference.

Kosovo’s Independent Media Commission, ICM, elected a new chairman on Friday amidst claims of political interference and allegations that members were attempting to unlawfully dismiss the current chairman, Jeton Mehmeti. Changes were made to ICM’s internal regulations allowing the election of a new chairman or vice-chairman up to one month before the expiration of their terms.

The newly elected ICM chairman Besnik Berisha said that he “was surprised by the news that ICM members were planning to dismiss the chairman just three days before his mandate ends. This is completely false. No one had such plans.” He explained that the issue of electing a new chairman had been placed on the agenda to avoid leaving the commission without leadership. With chairman Mehmeti’s term set to expire on January 20, 2025, Berisha stressed the importance of resolving the leadership issue promptly to avoid any disruption to ICM’s operations after this date.