ABSTRACT
This chapter analyzes the evolution of US–Kosovo bilateral relations, specifically the influence of key domestic and international factors that have shaped its trajectory. The analysis employs existing scholarship, archival material, memoirs, and interview data. While the nature and dynamics of US engagement with Kosovo have varied over time and across administrations, this chapter argues that there is a common thread of interrelated factors that have consistently played a major role in shaping US foreign policy toward Kosovo. US policy toward Kosovo is driven by the broader geopolitical goal to ensure security and stability in the Western Balkans and wider Europe, and to fend off the influence of rival powers in the region, especially Russia. US foreign policy toward Kosovo, moreover, has been shaped by commitments to liberal internationalism and an emphasis on human rights and democratic norms as key pillars of international security and governance. Kosovo's political elite has also been keenly aware of the need for US support and greatly invested in fostering a close US–Kosovo relationship. This has involved adopting a foreign policy that is closely aligned with US interests, cultivating pro-Americanism in Kosovo, and actively engaging US policymakers, especially through the Albanian–American community.
