Washington, 15 September 2026 (MIA)

Cvetin Chilimanov, MIA’s special correspondent in the US

Under the Trump administration, the United States will no longer engage in nation-building in the Balkans, but will instead focus on stability, maintaining positive relations and economic cooperation. This was stated today by Daniel Lawton, Deputy Assistant Secretary for Western Central Europe and Southern Europe in the Bureau of European and Eurasian Affairs, who testified before the US House Foreign Affairs Committee Subcommittee on Europe on the Trump administration’s policy toward the Balkans. The statement comes ahead of Prime Minister Hristijan Mickoski’s visit to Washington.

North Macedonia and Montenegro are both close NATO allies and security partners, each advancing strategic priorities and key projects that improve regional connectivity. North Macedonia is on a credible path to meet its NATO defense spending commitments and boost our defense cooperation. Sitting at a regional crossroads, North Macedonia is poised to receive and connect LGN exports from Greece to Serbia as well as develop north-south and east-west transportation infrastructure projects. The US-North Macedonia Strategic Dialogue held in April reaffirmed both countries’ commitment to working together to advance these strategic lines of effort, Lawton said in his remarks.

During the discussion with the members of the Congress, questions focused on ethnic issues in Bosnia and Kosovo as well as the construction of a trans-Balkan gas pipeline to transport US liquefied natural gas from Greece. Macedonia is expected to be a key country along the pipeline, which will rely on the port of Alexandroupoli.

Several members of Congress focused on Serbia’s role in the region and its relations with the United States, Russia and the European Union. Asked by Congressman Warren Davidson whether rivalry between the US and the EU was emerging over relations in the Balkans, particularly amid the crisis over the appointment of a high international representative in Bosnia, diplomat Daniel Lawton said it was not for the United States to advocate for or against the membership of individual Balkan countries in the Union.

“We certainly have geopolitical rivals, such as China and Russia, which pose a threat to our interests in the region. That is why we advocate for stability in the region, which is in all our interests. As for the European Union, we do not take a position on countries’ membership. That is a decision they must make themselves in cooperation with the Union,” Lawton said in response to Congressman Davidson’s question.

Lawton also responded to comments from several congressmen who were critical of Serbia, saying that Secretary Marco Rubio’s position is that the policy of isolating the country has failed. Therefore, he said, the US will now “be proactive and offer American solutions” so that countries in the region choose the United States as a partner rather than one of the other major powers, such as Russia or China. On the other key regional issue that dominated the hearing – Bosnia – Deputy Assistant Secretary Lawton said the US does not want to engage in excessive intervention in the internal affairs of a sovereign state.