President Trump’s envoy for the Kosovo-Serbia dialogue will be stepping down from his post as Ambassador to Berlin in the next few weeks, according to German newspaper Die Welt.
A loyal Trump supporter, Grenell was appointed as acting Director of National Intelligence in February. On Thursday, the US Senate confirmed John Ratcliffe to replace Grenell as DNI. He will be sworn in on Tuesday.
Grenell has drawn a lot of criticism by German authorities, politicians and media for his controversial statements during his tenure as Ambassador to Berlin. The embassy is expected to be temporarily led by Grenell’s deputy, Robin Quinville.
If he resigns as ambassador, Grenell’s only remaining post will be that of President Trump’s envoy for Kosovo-Serbia negotiations. It’s not clear if he will continue to keep this duty.
Grenell’s push for a Kosovo-Serbia deal has been considered as undue pressure by international relations experts. Many believe that his pressure for a quick Kosovo-Serbia deal before the US presidential election led to the toppling of the Kurti government in Kosovo amidst the coronavirus crisis.
A deal that would include land swap seems to be strongly opposed by the Kosovo people. Grenell’s closest collaborators, President Hashim Thaci and Aleksandar Vucic have been accused of having reached a secret agreement on such a deal.
French and German foreign ministers, as well as the EU’s special envoy for the dialogue have excluded quick fixes and land swap.
With his power diminishing, it’s not clear what Grenell’s resignation as Ambassador to Berlin could mean for the dialogue between Kosovo and Serbia.
