Opinion: An Offensive Plan for the Balkans That the U.S. Should Get Behind

[brooklynite]

The New York Times:

The Balkans remains in strategic limbo. Kosovo declared independence from Serbia 10 years ago, but Serbia has yet to come to terms with its loss — refusing to recognize Kosovo and stirring trouble between the country’s ethnic Serbs and the ethnic Albanian majority. Almost two decades after the NATO bombing campaign to drive Yugoslav forces from Kosovo, some 4,000 NATO troops remain there to keep the peace.

A breakthrough may now be in the making. It is a morally offensive one, but nonetheless the United States and the European Union should get behind it.

President Aleksandar Vucic of Serbia and President Hashim Thaci of Kosovo are apparently working on a proposal to engage in a land swap that could bring the simmering conflict to an end. Northern Kosovo, which is populated mainly by ethnic Serbs and borders Serbia, would be transferred to Serbia. In return, a to-be-determined chunk of Serbia’s Presevo Valley, which is heavily populated by ethnic Albanians and borders Kosovo, would become part of Kosovo.

This swap is effectively a peaceful form of ethnic cleansing. Still, it is the right thing to do. Pragmatism needs to trump principle in this case to secure a deal that promises to bring a close to the years of bloodshed and border changes that have resulted from the collapse of Yugoslavia.

[sandensea]

1. The Presevo Valley, to preserve the peace.

Sounds like a plan. Hope it works.

[Bernardo de La Paz]

2. Writers need to avoid the phrase "trump this" or that. It's a false reference.

Trump is ruining the word "trump". Leave it as purely a technical word for a certain action in card games.

The phrase "Go trump yourself" will before long become a swear phrase. Them's fightin' words.