US Threatens to Pull Back From Bosnia After Europe Rift

A dispute between the United States and European countries over the future of Bosnia and Herzegovina has escalated following a disagreement over the appointment of a new High Representative of the international community. The US embassy in Sarajevo subsequently threatened to reconsider the US role in the country.

At a meeting of the Peace Implementation Council (PIC), which oversees compliance with the 1995 Dayton Accords, Washington backed Italian diplomat Antonio Zanardi Landi. France, Germany, Britain and most European states backed French envoy René Troccaz.

The Trump administration has also pushed to weaken the powers of the High Representative. After the talks collapsed, the US embassy declared that European indecision was forcing the US to rethink its role in Bosnia and Herzegovina.

Although the United States no longer has a significant military presence in the country, it continues to exercise influence through the PIC and bilateral relations. Analysts say the dispute is not merely a personnel matter but reflects a broader strategic reorientation toward the region, adding that Washington may have overestimated its ability to install its preferred candidate and that commercial interests in Bosnia and Herzegovina could be a factor in its stance.

(guardian, bak)