Thewesternbalkans.
In early January 2026, the US conducted a military operation against the regime of Nicolas Maduro in Venezuela, which included strikes on military facilities and the detention of Maduro, motivated by Washington as an anti-narcotics and justice operation. This caused a wide international response and division in views on its legitimacy.
The capture of Maduro and the careless statement that the US would “govern” Venezuela for now caused a fit of fear in some countries and comfort for others – about what the US would do next: Greenland, Iran, Colombia or Cuba? The Trump administration abandoned isolationism in favor of total control.
The Balkans do not lie on a sea of oil and therefore do not feel directly threatened by such an American intervention. Moreover, the Balkans can be controlled by the US more easily (than, for example, Venezuela) even without having to violate international law.
How did the Balkans react?
The reactions of the Western Balkan countries to the US operation in Venezuela were divided and in line with their different foreign policy orientations.
- Kosovo and Albania supported the US actions as part of the fight against organized crime and authoritarian regimes. This reflects a strong political proximity to Washington and a pro-Atlantic orientation in the policies of Pristina and Tirana. This position fits into their long-term aspiration to strengthen the strategic dialogue with the US and NATO, including in policies against organized crime and corruption.
Kosovo President Vjosa Osmani immediately published an exaggerated message of support for Trump, praising him for eliminating the “narco-trafficker”. Kosovo stands firmly behind the US and President Trump on the operation in Venezuela, defining it as directed against the “narco-terrorist regime”.
Acting Prime Minister Albin Kurti also supported the operation, stressing the need to hold state actors involved in drug trafficking accountable.
But Kurti may also be a little concerned that he could be ousted again with US help, as his first term was interrupted. Although Kurti won a legitimate election, he has few allies and relations with the US are likely to be much more difficult. Kurti’s own statement is an expression of his efforts to appease the US.
Albania’s Minister for European Affairs, Elisa Spiropali, posted a statement on social media in support of the US and President Trump, stressing “decisive action against the narco-terrorist regime” in Venezuela. This echoes Tirana’s pro-Atlantic and NATO-oriented foreign policy.
- North Macedonia said it was monitoring the situation and called for legality and security. The country positions itself as supporting democratic values and freedom, with Foreign Minister Timcho Micunski noting that the country “stands with the United States and the Venezuelan people for freedom and democracy.”
Skopje has shown a tendency to express support for Western partners, although without detailed official declarations criticizing or legitimizing specific legal aspects of the operation.
- Serbia emphasizes international law and criticizes unilateral actions, maintaining a pragmatic tone. President Aleksandar Vučić commented that after the operation in Venezuela, “it is clear that the international legal order and the UN Charter are not functioning; the stronger dominates.”
He added that Serbia wants friendly relations with the United States, but it is important to point out violations of international law when they occur.
This position reflects a balanced approach that criticizes the principle of unilateral military intervention but does not sever diplomatic relations with Washington. Serbia, balancing between the West and Russia, used the occasion to emphasize sensitivity to international law without straining its relations with Washington, demonstrating diplomatic pragmatism.
- Montenegro is more restrained and without an official reaction at the moment, which corresponds to Podgorica’s tendency to express positions in sync with the EU, but with more measured foreign policy communication on controversial international military actions, within the framework of international law.
- There are no official positions from Bosnia and Herzegovina soon after the operation, which suggests a more restrained foreign policy communication or orientation towards the positions of the EU and its allies.
With Washington or with Brussels?
As the normative divergence between the EU and the US deepens, the Western Balkan countries – especially the EU candidates – are forced to maneuver between the two centers of influence.
The European Union’s reaction to the US operation in Venezuela has been noticeably more restrained compared to the positions of individual Western Balkan countries. Brussels has avoided overt political support or condemnation of the operation, emphasizing the need to respect international law and the UN Charter, the importance of a Venezuelan-led political solution, and concerns about setting a precedent for unilateral military intervention.
Against this background, Kosovo and Albania’s open support for the operation goes beyond the framework of the EU’s common position and emphasizes the bilateral nature of their relations with the US, placed above the need for full coordination with Brussels. For Kosovo and Albania, support for the US line also has a symbolic nature: it is a reminder that their own statehood and security have historically been linked to US military and political intervention. In this sense, Venezuela has become less of a specific case than a projection of loyalty.
Serbia’s position is closest to the Russian-Chinese discourse – not in terms of direct support for Venezuela, but in emphasizing that “the strong impose their will,” which erodes the international legal order.
The Western Balkans as a “mirror” of global division
Reactions around the world to the American operation were strongly divided – from categorical support to sharp criticism of the violation of international law and Venezuela’s sovereignty.
The reactions of the Western Balkan countries practically “mirror” the global geopolitical division. These countries appear as recipients of global fault lines, without the ability to play the role of mediator, corrective, or to formulate an autonomous regional position.
The ruling regimes in the Western Balkan countries, most of which are on the path to EU membership, understand the clear message from Trump and the US that anyone who opposes them will end up like Maduro. In the areas that the US declares as its zones of interest, there will be no mercy for US opponents.
