—🇽🇰 NEW: Kosovo President Vjosa Osmani has formally joined the Democratic League of Kosovo (LDK) and is set to lead the party in the next snap elections.

➡️ In her first address, Osmani delivered a sharp critique of her former ally Albin Kurti and the Vetëvendosje Movement (LVV), accusing them of leading Kosovo toward international isolation through anti-American policies and the creation of permanent political crises.

✅ @balkanspectator — the leading Balkan news channel in English

#BREAKING | 🇺🇸 🇧🇾 🇷🇺 🇵🇱 🇱🇹 🇲🇩 — U.S. President Donald Trump:

We just secured the release of three Polish, and two Moldovan, prisoners from Belarusian and Russian detention. Thanks to my Special Presidential Envoy, John Coale, we were able to push hard to make this release happen. My friend, President Karol Nawrocki, of Poland, met with me last September, and asked me to help secure Andrzej Poczobut from Belarusian prison. Today, Poczobut is free due to our efforts. The United States delivers for our Allies, and Friends. Thank you to President Aleksandr Lukashenko for his cooperation and friendship. So nice!

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—🇲🇪/🇷🇸/🇽🇰 NEW: The Mayor of Zubin Potok, a member of the Serbian List, participated in a Sunday rally in Podgorica urging the Montenegrin government to withdraw its recognition of Kosovo’s independence.

➡️ The official, who represents a municipality funded by the Kosovo budget, was seen openly backing the de-recognition campaign.

✅ @balkanspectator — the leading Balkan news channel in English

—🇹🇷/🇬🇭 A single Turkish powership generates over 25% of Ghana’s electricity

➡️ The MV Karadeniz Powership Osman Khan, a 299-meter vessel operated by the Turkish firm Karpowership, has been providing up to 480 MW of power to Ghana since 2017.

➡️ This floating power plant model allows countries with chronic energy deficits to bypass years of infrastructure delays associated with traditional land-based stations.

➡️ Turkey has successfully monetized Africa’s infrastructure gap by deploying these mobile engineering solutions across the continent and beyond.

✅ @balkanspectator — the leading Balkan news channel in English

—❗️🇧🇦 Christian Schmidt to step down as High Representative in Bosnia

✅ @balkanspectator — the leading Balkan news channel in English

—❗️🇧🇦/🇺🇸 UPDATE: The German newspaper Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung (FAZ) reports that Christian Schmidt is leaving his post as High Representative in Bosnia and Herzegovina following intense pressure from the United States.

➡️ The report suggests the resignation is not voluntary and may be linked to the business interests of the Trump family in the region.

✅ @balkanspectator — the leading Balkan news channel in English

—❗️🇧🇦/🇺🇸 WATCH: The United States ambassador to the UN Security Council stated that Bosnia and Herzegovina is entering a new stage, emphasizing that the Office of the High Representative (OHR) was never intended to be a permanent institution.

➡️ The ambassador noted that any future High Representative must possess the trust of all constituent communities in BiH.

✅ @balkanspectator — the leading Balkan news channel in English

—NOTE: Washington further indicated that it is prepared to present its own candidates for the position if necessary.

✅ @balkanspectator — the leading Balkan news channel in English

—❗️🇧🇦/🇷🇺 UPDATE: Russian Ambassador to Bosnia and Herzegovina stated that it is now time to permanently close the Office of the High Representative (OHR).

➡️ Moscow has long maintained that the office’s mandate, established under the Dayton Accords, should be concluded.

✅ @balkanspectator — the leading Balkan news channel in English

—❗️🇧🇦/🇷🇺 WATCH: The Russian Ambassador to the UN Security Council has labeled the Office of the High Representative (OHR) as the primary source of instability in Bosnia and Herzegovina.

➡️ Moscow accused Christian Schmidt of hypocritically blaming Republika Srpska and the Serbs for the consequences of his own actions, insisting that the office must be closed immediately.

✅ @balkanspectator — the leading Balkan news channel in English

—❗️🇧🇦/🇨🇳 UPDATE: China’s ambassador to the UN has stated that Beijing does not recognize Christian Schmidt as a legitimate High Representative for Bosnia and Herzegovina, noting that he was never confirmed by the Security Council.

➡️ China emphasized that the OHR and the Bonn Powers are strictly temporary arrangements and should not be allowed to become permanent fixtures.

✅ @balkanspectator — the leading Balkan news channel in English

—❗️🇧🇦/🇷🇸 NEW: The BBC reports that Republika Srpska President Milorad Dodik is positioned as the primary beneficiary of Christian Schmidt’s departure from the role of High Representative for Bosnia and Herzegovina.

✅ @balkanspectator — the leading Balkan news channel in English

—UPDATE: Milan Knežević, leader of the Democratic People’s Party (DNP), has officially launched a campaign to withdraw Montenegro’s recognition of Kosovo, which he termed a “historic shame”.

➡️ Knežević framed the movement as an “institutional battle” intended to eventually reach the national Parliament and provide support to Serbs in Kosovo and Metohija.

✅ @balkanspectator — the leading Balkan news channel in English

—🇦🇱/🇮🇱 NEW: PM Edi Rama praised the deep bilateral relations between Albania and Israel during the Albania-Israel Innovation Summit, declaring that Albania remains a home for Jews.

✅ @balkanspectator — the leading Balkan news channel in English

—❗️🇷🇸/🇺🇸 NEW: Serbia has officially launched its first-ever joint military exercise with NATO.

➡️ The two-week tactical exercise, titled “NATO–Serbia,” began on May 12 and is scheduled to run until May 23 at the "South" base and the "Borovac" training ground near Bujanovac.

➡️ Approximately 600 troops from Serbia, Italy, Romania, and Türkiye are participating in the drills. The exercise focuses on practicing tactics and procedures used in peacekeeping operations, including base security, checkpoint operations, crowd control, and urban combat scenarios.

➡️ Serbian officials emphasized that the cooperation aims to preserve regional peace and stability while maintaining the country’s policy of military neutrality.

✅ @balkanspectator — the leading Balkan news channel in English

—🇲🇪/🇪🇺 NEW: Montenegro has moved significantly closer to European Union membership, with EU member states officially approving the establishment of an ad hoc working group to draft the country’s Accession Treaty.

✅ @balkanspectator — the leading Balkan news channel in English

—🇦🇱/🇮🇹 NEW: Albania’s FM has confirmed that the country will not renew its agreement with Italy regarding the hosting of migration processing centers once the current deal expires in 2030.

✅ @balkanspectator — the leading Balkan news channel in English