Thewesternbalkans.
Of all the Balkan countries, only Bulgaria, Albania and Kosovo joined the “Board of Peace”, initiated by Donald Trump. Of the EU member states, apart from Bulgaria, only Hungary joined. The remaining EU countries are showing restraint and are still considering Trump’s proposal. Some countries in Europe (e.g. France, Germany, Italy, the United Kingdom, Slovenia) have officially refused to participate, due to concerns that the initiative could undermine international institutions such as the UN or conflict with their legislation – this demonstrates a broader European skepticism that also influences reactions in the Western Balkans.
Albania
Tirana accepted the invitation and joined the “Board of Peace”. The Albanian parliament ratified the decision with a broad political consensus, and Prime Minister Edi Rama described it as a personal diplomatic success that elevates Albania’s role on the international stage.
Edi Rama stated that “it was both a privilege and an honour to express my full readiness to contribute to this important endeavour and to participate fully in a joint effort that seeks to translate vision into action”.
Kosovo
Kosovo also joined the “Board of Peace”. President of Kosovo, Vjosa Osmani, said that she was “deeply honoured by Donald Trump’s personal invitation to represent the Republic of Kosovo as a founding member of the Board of Peace, standing shoulder to shoulder with the United States in the pursuit of a safer world”. The country, a strong US ally, signed the charter of the initiative at the World Economic Forum in Davos. This is seen in international media as a sign of support for the participation of Kosovo leaders in efforts for peace and stability.
Lack of coordination and consultation
As reported, in Kosovo, President Vjosa Osmani’s decision was not coordinated with the interim Prime Minister Albin Kurti. He has not yet commented on Trump’s initiative. Foreign Minister Donika Gervalla Schwartz, who is the only member of Osmani’s party – Guxo – in government, has also not expressed an opinion.
Unlike Kosovo, in Albania the invitation is for Prime Minister Edi Rama, who, however, undoubtedly made a unilateral decision to participate.
In Bulgaria, the misunderstandings are even greater, since both the president and the prime minister hastened to respond to Trump’s invitation, without any coordination between the institutions.
Serbia
Serbia is not among the countries that have been invited or have confirmed membership in the “Board of Peace”, although Vučić boasted of exceptional attention to his person during the World Economic Forum in Davos, where a formal signing of the founding document was orchestrated. There are no public official reactions from Belgrade on the initiative itself (its acceptance or rejection) – which analysts in Serbia interpret as a “miss” or a diplomatic signal.
Montenegro
Montenegro officially stated that it had not been invited to join this initiative. There are no public comments from the government or official reactions in the media.
North Macedonia
There are currently no publicly announced official positions or decisions to join the “Peace Council”. This means that the country is not among those that have clearly declared a position (neither signed nor publicly refused).
Bosnia and Herzegovina
There is no information available about an official position or invitation to participate. Neither the government nor political leaders from the country have made public statements on the issue in international media covering participation in Trump’s “Peace Council”.
An alternative to the UNSC?
The Board, focusing on “post-conflict stabilization, reconstruction, and long-term peace initiatives”, was proposed by the American President in September 2025, and it was formally established on the sidelines of the World Economic Forum in Davos.
The White House formally announced the creation of the BoP last week. However, the organization’s 11-page charter, comprising eight chapters and 13 articles, does not mention Gaza once.
Members of the executive board include former United Kingdom Prime Minister Tony Blair, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Trump’s son-in-law Jared Kushner.
The chairman is Trump himself. He serves as the final authority on the interpretation of the charter and holds veto power over key decisions, including membership removal and executive board actions.
Membership in the BoP is limited to states invited by the chairman. Member states are represented by heads of state or senior government officials and must contribute to operations in line with their domestic laws.
Personalizing Participation
Albania and Kosovo have chosen highly personalized participation in the Peace Council over restraint and institutional caution. The leaders of these countries, as well as Bulgaria, have preferred to demonstrate a personal devotion to Trump that borders on servility and sycophancy.
In their quest to rank among the „fathers of the new international order“, Balkan leaders have neglected in-depth foreign policy analysis and parliamentary debate.
On the other hand, if the political theater and diplomatic symbolism of the “Board of Peace”ndo not stand the test of time, the personal decisions of these leaders can easily be reconsidered. In any case, Osmani’s presidential term expires on April 4, and her re-election is not entirely certain.
