Kosovo President Praises Trump's 'Peace Through Strength' as Key to Regional Stability

Kosovo's president credited former President Donald Trump's 'peace through strength' doctrine with helping keep the country safe from renewed conflict with Serbia, saying the approach has deterred violence in the Western Balkans. In a Tuesday appearance on Fox & Friends ahead of Trump's address at the United Nations, Vjosa Osmani described Trump as a leader who speaks with clarity, strength and conviction—a message she said autocrats around the world have understood.

"The president [Trump] has always been a leader that speaks with clarity and strength and conviction, so, as he takes the stage at the United Nations today, we expect a strong message of peace through strength that has delivered in our part of Europe, because that's the only message that autocrats and crazy leaders around the world who want to kill and cause suffering understand," Osmani said.

Osmani credited Trump with being "very successful" in preventing escalations and wars in the region, notably between Kosovo and Serbia. In June, Trump touted success with brokering peace agreements between a series of conflicting nations, including Kosovo and Serbia, a claim Osmani said reflected a broader pattern of deterrence backed by NATO allies and the Trump administration. This context underscores the ongoing balance of power in the Balkans, where Kosovo and Serbia have long been at odds since Kosovo declared independence in 2008 and Serbia does not recognize its neighbor's sovereignty.

Osmani said that prevention and deterrence have been key to the region, and generations that have seen war have finally begun to see peace. "We're a country where every single generation before our kids had to go through a war," she said. "Our kids now can go to bed without the sound of firearms and the fear that we had to grow up as children of war because of American leadership." Because of that, she said, she counts on Trump's "peace through strength" formula to continue.

The Kosovo-Serbia dynamic has repeatedly tested regional security. Osmani recalled that September 2023 featured an act of aggression by Serbia against the Republic of Kosovo, which she said was thwarted with the support of NATO allies. She added that there is a constant threat coming from Serbia, though she framed the alliance and U.S. leadership as the key factor in keeping flare-ups from escalating. "This past May, there was another attempted flare-up, if I may call it so, and this administration has been doing a wonderful job to prevent these [flare-ups] from escalating," she said.

Kosovo and Serbia have maintained a tense but complex relationship since Kosovo's unilateral declaration of independence in 2008, a move Serbia has never recognized. Osmani framed the regional progress as evidence that deterrence works, noting that the region has seen fewer escalations when NATO and allied partners provide a steady, principled backing for peace. Her remarks come as Trump travels to the United Nations and as Kosovo cements its status as a steadfast U.S. ally within a security framework that has long prioritized preventing conflicts in the Balkans.

Osmani also highlighted a generational shift in the region, saying that the peace achieved through international support allows Kosovo’s youth to grow up without the same war memories that burdened prior generations. She framed the Trump administration's posture as a practical, deterrent strategy rather than a rhetorical one, arguing that real-world outcomes—stability, deterrence, and ongoing regional cooperation—confirm the value of the approach.

The comments from Osmani follow decades of U.S. and NATO involvement in Kosovo and a broader Western-brokered effort to normalize relations in the Balkans. While not a formal policy announcement, her remarks present Kosovo as a case study in how a hard-edged, liability-averse approach to security can yield tangible peace in a volatile region.

As Kosovo continues to chart its path within European and transatlantic security structures, Osmani’s remarks underscore a continuing reliance on U.S. leadership and NATO support to deter aggression and maintain stability. The broader implication for regional diplomacy is that sustained, credible deterrence remains a central tool in preventing relapse into conflict—and that statements from allied leaders on these issues carry weight for Kosovo and its neighbors.