Kosovo needs a statesman, not a canal watchman

The recent explosion of a strategically important water canal in northern Kosovo has ignited a heated debate both domestically and internationally. This incident has raised urgent questions about the future of the Kosovo-Serbia conflict, especially as Russian influence grows in the Balkans and the United States undergoes political shifts.

At the core of this debate is the pressing need to normalize the Kosovo-Serbia dialogue and for the West to develop a clear strategy to advance this agenda. However, in Kosovo, this discussion has devolved into an electoral issue. Prime Minister Albin Kurti quickly donned his boots and inspected the canal repairs, portraying it as the most critical matter at hand. Meanwhile, his political rivals accuse him of collaborating with Serbian President Aleksandar Vučić to stir ethnic tensions for mutual political gain in their respective countries.

The explosion in northern Kosovo is not simply about fixing a canal or ensuring its protection from future attacks. Even if Kurti stationed his entire party along the canal’s length, it would not address the deeper issue of instability in the region. Blaming the government for uncertainty in northern Kosovo misses the point entirely.

The security of northern Kosovo cannot be managed by Prishtina alone; it requires the involvement of the U.S. and EU. The more Kosovo isolates itself from these allies, the less secure both the north and the rest of the country will become.

Kurti's failure lies not in his government’s inability to prevent the explosion but in his inability to maintain strong relations with Kosovo’s Western partners. Under his leadership, the European Union has imposed sanctions on Kosovo, and relations with the U.S. have reached their lowest point since the 1990s.

Meanwhile, Serbia has been strengthening ties with key Western nations and members of the EU. It is also buoyed by Donald Trump’s resurgence in U.S. politics. While this doesn’t guarantee U.S. favoritism towards Serbia, it does highlight Serbia's improving relations with the West, transitioning from adversary to potential partner. In contrast, Kosovo, a nation whose independence was secured through American intervention, now finds itself at odds with its strongest allies.

The dramatic images of Kurti inspecting the canal repairs, juxtaposed with opposition claims of his alleged collaboration with Vučić, are little more than political theater for domestic consumption. They do nothing to address Kosovo’s real challenges. What Kosovo needs is to restore its partnership with the U.S. and EU to the level it enjoyed before Kurti’s tenure.

Rather than playing into propaganda by inspecting the canal in Serbian-made boots or stoking fears of an impending war, Kurti should focus on mending ties with the West. Kosovo was once at war with Serbia, confident in its victory because it had the unwavering support of Western allies. Today, as a free nation, it faces renewed threats not because of Serbian bandits blasting a water canal, but because its government has alienated the very allies that guaranteed its independence.

Kosovo’s priority must be to elevate its dialogue from local political squabbles to strategic discussions with Washington and Brussels. When Kosovo reestablishes its standing with its Western allies, incidents like the canal explosion will carry far less weight. Potential aggressors will think twice, knowing the consequences of challenging a nation backed by NATO, the U.S., and the EU.

Lowering the stakes to internal party politics or disputes with Serbian bandits undermines Kosovo’s sovereignty. If Serbia and its proxies succeed in dragging Kosovo into this trap, they will not only harm but also humiliate the country, treating it as a vassal state that can be deprived of water at will.

Albin Kurti must move beyond the role of a security guard for infrastructure and act as a statesman who protects the sovereignty and dignity of his country. This requires rebuilding bridges with NATO, the U.S., and the EU—institutions with which, regrettably, he remains at odds.

The article initially appeared in Albanian titled: "Albin Kurti nuk është rojtar kanalesh, por roje i Kosovës"