Isolation is not the end. It is only the beginning. The beginning of a decline that could cost us everything we have gained with blood, friendship, and sacrifice.
Doruntina Meha
Kosovo is a unique case in modern history. An autonomous territory within the former Yugoslavia, which had never been a separate state, became an independent state thanks to the sacrifice of its people and the commitment of international allies. What seemed impossible became a reality. In the post-war years, Kosovo was the pride of the West. A small country that became an example of friendship between a people and the world's greatest powers.
At that time, the world looked upon us with sympathy. President Bill Clinton himself came to Pristina to embrace us as friends and to show us that the sacrifice had not been in vain. US Secretaries of State visited Kosovo frequently, making it part of their strategic agendas. Our greatest friends considered us a success story, proof that NATO’s intervention had saved lives, brought peace, and built a new state on the foundations of democracy.
This is the case that is still studied today in the most prestigious universities in the world, in the branches of international law: how a small country, without prior statehood, achieved independence with the intervention of Western powers. Kosovo was an example of what happens when the world stands on the side of law and against genocide.
And today, this glorious history has become a warning. What was supposed to be a journey towards consolidation, strengthening institutions, and building lasting friendships has turned into a dead end of isolation, resentment, and diplomatic failure.
Since 2022, Kosovo has been under EU sanctions, a decision that has placed Kosovo in the face of its greatest international isolation since the war. EU officials no longer visit Kosovo as they used to, and the signals are clear: Kosovo does not listen, does not cooperate, does not respect even those who made the state possible. From Washington we have a painful record: for the first time since the declaration of independence, a Kosovo prime minister has never been welcomed to the White House by either Trump or Biden. Instead of invitations, we have received reprimands. Instead of strong friendships, we have received isolation.
This is not simply a matter of protocol. It is a clear indicator of the loss of reputation. A country that yesterday was seen as the "child of success" of the West, today is perceived as a small but noisy problem, which does not know how to manage either the neighborhood or international relations. From pride, to annoyance. From a positive example, to a case study in political stubbornness.
The consequences are obvious. The more Kosovo isolates itself, the more it loses opportunities for investment, for integration, for development. Instead of progressing towards the EU, we risk remaining hostage to ourselves. Instead of strengthening the state, we are weakening it with our own hands.
Meanwhile, Serbia, which should have been in the dock of history, is successfully playing the role of the victim. Every irresponsible step by Kosovo is a propaganda sheet for Serbia. Every stubborn statement here is a new argument there. It is not Serbia that is winning the diplomatic battle, it is we who are giving it the victory.
All this did not happen because the world forgot us. It happened because we forgot who we are and how we got here. We forgot that we are not the epicenter of the world, but a country with less than two million inhabitants and only 10 thousand square kilometers. We forgot that without the USA, without NATO, without the EU, this country would not exist. We forgot that reputation is not an eternal gift, it is an asset that must be preserved every day.
Kosovo, once a success story, today risks becoming an example of isolation. From the pride of the West, we are becoming the problem of the West. Once we were welcomed with a red carpet, today we are welcomed with a list of sanctions. Once we were embraced as friends, today we are avoided as trouble. And this bill will not be paid by just one government, nor by just one leader. This bill will be paid by Kosovo.
Because isolation is not the end. It is only the beginning. The beginning of a decline that could cost us everything we have gained with blood, friendship, and sacrifice.
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