After US President Donald Trump presented his so-called Peace Council in January, major European countries decided not to join it, as they consider it to be competition to the UN. However, three countries decided to support the initiative, and a fourth announced that it would participate in the first meeting as an "observer".
Why do Bulgaria, Albania and Kosovo want to join Trump's Council, and Romania decided to participate as an "observer", asks the Swiss public media outlet SRF in its publication.
The motives of the three Balkan countries to join the Peace Council are completely different, the publication notes. The only thing they have in common is that they seek the proximity of the United States, hoping to benefit themselves.
The Albanian parliament has already approved the country's participation in the Council, and the Kosovo parliament is expected to do the same soon. In Bulgaria, ratification will remain for the next parliament, which must be elected in the early parliamentary elections, without, however, being certain that the new National Assembly will approve the country's accession to the Trump Council at all, SRF points out.
Why does Bulgaria want to join the Peace Council?
Bulgaria has only one oil refinery. It belongs to the Russian concern "Lukoil", against which the US has imposed sanctions, recalls the Swiss publication and notes: Bulgaria fears a shortage of gasoline and therefore needs Trump's favor.
It is also needed by "the leader of the DPS-New Beginning Delyan Peevski, a media magnate and one of the most influential oligarchs in Bulgaria", the Swiss publication further writes. SRF recalls that Peevski is sanctioned under the "Magnitsky" law, and his property in the US is frozen. In order to regain access to the money, he needs Trump's favorable attitude, the publication also says.
Why is Bulgaria's participation particularly controversial?
The application for accession was made by a government in resignation, recalls SRF. However, in Davos, Rosen Zhelyazkov signed the document on behalf of Bulgaria for the country's participation in the Trump Peace Council. That was also the day when the people of Bulgaria learned that their country was one of the two EU countries (the other being Hungary) that signed the founding document. To this day, it is not clear how the decision was made and what Bulgaria agreed to, the Swiss publication adds to the picture.
Why does Kosovo want to join?
Kosovo is not a member state of the UN, as Serbia is preventing it from joining the world organization. For Kosovo, which emerged as a separate state after NATO's intervention in the Kosovo War in 1999, US protection is essential.
"With the Peace Council, we now have an organization in which we, Kosovars, are treated as equals, not like in the EU and the UN," says Kosovo political scientist Leart Hoxha.
What are Albania's motives?
Albanian Prime Minister Edi Rama has long sought Trump's closeness. Trump's daughter Ivanka and her husband Jared Kushner are building luxury holiday villages on the Albanian island of Sazan for around $1.4 billion.
In October, Rama reacted to a mistake by Trump, who confused Albania with Armenia in his speech, so now the Albanian head of government has at least one more reason to seek the favor of the American president again, the Swiss publication points out.
Will membership fees be paid?
The official membership fee for the Peace Council is $1 billion. All three countries believe that they are not obliged to pay this amount. Kosovo President Vjosa Osmani said the following in this regard: "We have never been asked to pay such an amount. The statute does not provide for it either".
This is true: the statute does not actually oblige all member states to pay $1 billion, SRF specifies.