Albania and Kosovo in a World Sliding Toward Global
Confrontation
Flamur Buçpapaj
From the trade war to the Russian threat, from the Moscow–Tehran axis to the necessity of national power, the world is entering a historic phase where the illusions of lasting peace are collapsing one after another. The liberal international order, built after 1945 and consolidated after the Cold War, is coming to an end—not through a single explosion, but through a series of interconnected crises: the trade war between Europe and the U.S., rivalry over strategic territories like Greenland, open Russian aggression, Iran’s destabilizing role, and the weakening of international institutions. In this new reality, Albania and Kosovo are not peripheral—they are on the front line of global insecurity.
The Trade War: a crisis eroding the foundations of the West
The trade war between the U.S. and the European Union should not be seen as a mere technical dispute. It signals a deeper transformation: the shift from strategic cooperation to open competition among allies. When the two pillars of the Western order start using the economy as a weapon against one another, the consequences are not just economic—they are geopolitical.
Tariffs on steel, aluminum, energy, green technology, and military industries create tensions that translate into a lack of strategic coordination. Instead of focusing on real threats—Russia, Iran, global destabilization—the West wastes energy fighting itself. This is precisely what strategic adversaries are waiting for.
. Greenland and the Arctic: the geopolitics of a waking territory
Greenland is no longer a silent icy expanse. It has become a symbol of 21st-century geopolitics. Melting glaciers are revealing strategic mineral resources, opening new maritime routes, and turning the Arctic into a new military theater.
The U.S. sees Greenland as key to its national security. Russia views the Arctic as a natural zone of influence and is rapidly militarizing it. Europe, divided and slow to decide, risks losing its strategic role. This race for remote territories reflects a frightening reality: the world is returning to the logic of force and territorial control.
Russia: an open threat to European order
Today, Russia is not merely a geopolitical rival—it is a systemic threat to European security. The war in Ukraine has made it clear that Moscow no longer respects borders, sovereignty, or international law. But Russian aggression goes beyond conventional warfare.
Russia uses energy as a tool of coercion, disinformation to divide Western societies, cyberattacks to paralyze states, and nuclear rhetoric to intimidate Europe. The Balkans are part of this strategy. Through Serbia, political influence, media, and intelligence operations, Russia maintains a dangerous center of destabilization in southern Europe.
. Iran: destabilization as state policy
Iran is not a peripheral actor. It is one of the main drivers of global chaos. Isolated by sanctions, Tehran has chosen a strategy of indirect confrontation: proxy wars, support for armed groups, and military cooperation with Russia.
The Moscow–Tehran axis does not aim for stability. It seeks a fragmented world where the West is forced to respond on multiple fronts simultaneously, losing strategic initiative. This alliance represents one of the most serious challenges to global security in the coming decades.
. Albania and the U.S.: a strategic alliance, not an absolute guarantee
Historically, Albania has been one of the most reliable U.S. allies in the Balkans. This alignment was decisive for the country’s stability and Kosovo’s liberation. But today’s reality requires political realism.
The U.S. does not act on emotions or personal goodwill—it acts on interests. Different administrations may have different approaches to Europe, NATO, and the Balkans. Therefore, Albania cannot rely on the idea of automatic protection. Supporting the U.S. is a sound strategic choice—but failing to build its own capacities while waiting for unconditional protection is a fatal risk.
. Kosovo and Albania: the reality of risk
Kosovo remains the most sensitive security point in the Balkans. Serbia, backed by Russia, has not accepted Kosovo’s independence and continues to test the limits of international patience. Any weakening of NATO or U.S. attention increases the risk of destabilization.
Albania, though a NATO member, is not immune. In a world where global crises spread rapidly, peripheries are always more exposed.
Building military strength: from unnecessary luxury to national necessity
For decades, Albania treated its army as a relic of the past. This mindset is dangerous. The world is returning to a phase where military power is a key element of sovereignty.
Land, naval, and air forces are not built for aggression but for deterrence. A state without minimal defensive capabilities is not taken seriously at international tables.
Causes of chaos and consequences for small states
The causes of this global crisis are many: Western division, neo-imperial ambitions, weakening international institutions, and populist politics. The consequences are severe: prolonged conflicts, economic insecurity, mass migration, and the return of fear as a political tool.
Small states are the first victims of this reality if they are unprepared.
. Preparation is sovereignty
Albania and Kosovo cannot afford neutrality or illusions. Alliances with the U.S. and NATO are vital, but they must be accompanied by serious national capacity-building. In a world moving toward confrontation and chaos, preparation is not provocation—it is survival.
History does not protect those who hope—it protects those who prepare.
If you want, I can also polish this translation into a more editorial-style English version that reads like an op-ed in Foreign
