"They've spent the last four years complimenting Joe Biden and attending his conventions and parties." Why have they never complained before?", this is how Richard Grenell reacted to the comment of Gljauk Konjufca, an official of Self-Determination, the party in power in Kosovo.
Konjufca recently stated that the administrations of former US presidents Barack Obama and Joseph Biden put Kosovo in a disadvantageous position and damaged its reputation.
This comment by Grenell is interesting and could potentially have an impact on the Balkans, as he is known as Trump's man for external hot spots. He was also the special envoy for relations between Serbia and Kosovo in Trump's previous mandate and is considered the most responsible for the agreements signed in the White House between Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic and Kosovo Prime Minister Avdulah Hoti with Donald Trump on the normalization of economic relations in 2020.
US President-elect Donald Trump announced in December 2024 that he had chosen longtime foreign policy adviser Richard Grenell as special envoy for North Korea, Venezuela and other countries.
Grenell was ambassador to Germany during the first Trump administration and acting director of National Intelligence.
Trump considered nominating him as the new secretary of state, but opted instead for Florida Senator Marco Rubio.
"Rick (Richard Grenell) will be working on some of the hottest spots in the world, including Venezuela and North Korea," Trump wrote on his Twitter platform at the time.
During Trump's first presidency, Grenell was said to sometimes use a contentious approach to diplomacy, which irritated allies and influential foreign policy circles in Washington, but his style was appreciated by the US president, who believes that open dialogue with allies is a value.
Trump then added that Grenell would continue to "fight for peace through strength" and that he would always put America first.
Grenell remained close to Trump when he left office in 2021, at times serving as his key foreign policy adviser.
He was in the room with Trump when he met with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky in September. At the time, he advocated for a peace agreement that would preserve Ukrainian territory while allowing "autonomous regions" to remain under Russian control.
He also advised against NATO expansion into Ukraine, saying, like Trump, that the alliance should not expand until current members meet its goals and fit the budget.
