by- Faton Tony Bislimi
Many view President Joe Biden’s decision to step down from the 2024 U.S. presidential race as the central element of his legacy. To me, Biden’s legacy lies in his enduring contributions to global peace and stability.
Biden played a pivotal role in saving Kosovo from the genocidal regime of Serbian President Slobodan Milosevic, and in countering Russian influence in the Balkans.
Background: Joe Biden and the Kosovo War
When I was a teenager in the late 1990s, Kosovo was on the brink of annihilation. At the time, Milosevic’s forces were perpetrating atrocities that threatened the survival of the ethnic Albanian population. As an ethnic Albanian, I grew up fearing for my life day-in and day-out. As a result, my daily concerns were not those of a typical teenager but rather matters of life and death. Seeing both my parents— who were fired from their jobs just because they were Albanian—having to struggle daily to feed me and my two sisters was very hard. My dad would work long hours as a handyman to bring food to our table. While survival is a human instinct, dreams were the foundation of my hope for better days.
I survived the war as a teenage refugee separated from my family. If there was one thing that kept me hoping for better days, it was support we were expecting from the U.S. The first time I got to see a movie in a theater was when I came to the U.S. for my college education in 2001. Yes, we did have movie theaters, but Albanians were not allowed to enter —just like they were banned from schools (I attended an underground school system), universities, public sector jobs, the healthcare system, and more. For many of my American friends, this was strange and unheard of. They could not imagine the fact that being an ethnic Albanian in Kosovo was enough for the Serbian regime of the time to ban me from entering a movie theater. During the Kosovo War of 1997-99, [i] the world seemed unable to prevent the disaster unfolding before it.
However, it was Biden, then a U.S. Senator, who stood out as a fervent advocate for NATO’s intervention to save Kosovo. His impassioned plea on the Senate floor on March 23, 1999, underscored his deep commitment: “We cannot stand by while ethnic cleansing ravages Kosovo. Our moral duty and national interest compel us to act.”[ii]His words helped shape the narrative in Washington and galvanized the Clinton administration to take decisive action. Biden was able to make this happen because of his ability to garner support from the other side of the aisle; in this sense, Biden was unique. He and his Republican colleague, Senator John McCain, paved the way for the Clinton Administration to support and lead NATO’s intervention to save Kosovo. Together they co-sponsored several congressional resolutions and went so far as to request that U.S. ground troops be deployed to Kosovo, through Senate Joint Resolution 20 in April 1999.[iii]Ultimately, ground troops were not necessary. In March 1999, NATO launched Operation Allied Force, a campaign of airstrikes against Milosevic’s regime, which led to the liberation of Kosovo.[iv]
Biden’s leadership was instrumental in mobilizing both U.S. and NATO forces for the operation, a bold move that successfully halted Milosevic’s campaign of terror. While in the Senate, Biden continued to work closely with the leaders of the Albanian American Civic League, former Congressman Joe DioGuardi and his wife Shirley Cloyes DioGuardi, on the issue of Kosovo.[v] His moral clarity and strategic foresight were key in garnering international support to lay the groundwork for Kosovo’s eventual declaration of independence in 2008. In an opinion piece published by The Financial Times in January 2007, more than a year before Kosovo declared its independence, Biden stated that Kosovo’s independence would bring about “a better future for Southeastern Europe and validation for the judicious use of American power.” He added, “along with the potential for triumph in Kosovo, there is a growing risk that Serbia and Russia will conspire to seize defeat from the jaws of victory.”[vi] Throughout this process, Biden’s voice was a beacon of hope for Kosovars like myself, a promise that the United States would stand with us in our darkest hour. Liberation without independence would have been only a job half-done. For me and my peers, the dream of living in a free country would take meaning only after we actually had a country.
I survived the Kosovo War of 1998-99 with the hope of seeing my country and my people live in freedom. I lived the moment of Kosovo’s declaration of independence on February 17, 2008. The joy in people’s faces that frigidly cold day was unprecedented, and it overcame all the sadness of those who had lost their loved ones during Kosovo’s struggle for peace. One thing that united all Kosovars that very day was also the gratitude they felt for the United States. Without U.S. support, Kosovo’s path towards freedom and independence would have never been possible. We proudly waved American flags during this historic day and chanted “God Bless USA” and “Thank You USA.” [vii]
Kosovar Independence Fortified European Security
In addition to his advocacy for military intervention,[viii] Biden was a consistent supporter of Kosovo’s political sovereignty. He recognized that a sustainable peace required addressing underlying geopolitical issues and countering external threats, especially from Russia, which at that time supported Milosevic’s brutal actions. Russia has long valued leverage over the Balkan countries and has historically used Serbia as its loyal ally through which to threaten greater European security and stability.[ix] Hence, in numerous congressional hearings, Biden emphasized the strategic importance of the Balkans for U.S. national security and European stability, seeing the region as a potential flashpoint for broader conflicts if left unchecked.
In a 1998 Senate Foreign Relations Committee hearing, Biden stated with great foresight, “Russia’s support for Milosevic is not merely a regional issue; it is a broader challenge to our values and our vision for a peaceful Europe. We must be vigilant and proactive in countering this influence.”[x] His insights were prescient, highlighting the long-term geopolitical challenges that Russian ambitions in the Balkans would pose; those challenges remain to this day as Serbia continues to show loyalty to Vladimir Putin—by rejecting continuous calls from the West to impose sanctions on Russia.[xi] Biden’s efforts in the late 1990s set the stage for future U.S. campaigns against malign Russian influence in Europe, a struggle that persists in the wake of Russia’s 2014 annexation of Crimea and its ongoing invasion of Ukraine.
Biden’s Leadership in Europe
Beyond his role in ending the Kosovo conflict, Biden has also been a steadfast advocate for the long-term stabilization and democratization of the region. He has supported aid packages and development programs to rebuild Kosovo’s shattered economy, promote good governance, and foster integration into European and transatlantic institutions. Biden was also a vocal proponent of the Stability Pact for Southeastern Europe; a key initiative aimed at coordinating international efforts to rebuild war-torn societies and promote sustainable peace.
Biden’s principled leadership on Kosovo was more than a reaction to a single crisis. It was part of a larger vision for a stable, democratic, and secure Europe. His advocacy for Kosovo’s right to self-determination helped set the stage for the country’s declaration of independence in 2008, which he continued to support as Vice President. He was one of the strongest advocates for recognizing Kosovo’s independence in Washington, DC, playing a crucial role in shaping U.S. policy toward the region.
His leadership has not been limited to Kosovo. Biden has understood the importance of the Balkans in the broader European security landscape and worked to counter the growing influence of Russia in the region. In the years since Kosovo’s independence, he has remained vocal about the need to support its young democracy, encouraging greater U.S. engagement to counter destabilizing forces. During his visit to Kosovo as Vice President in 2016, Mr. Biden said that Kosovo is “a country that meets the hopes and dreams of the Kosovar people so long denied — so long in abeyance, but once fully established, will last for centuries and we’ll all be better for it.”[xii]
As a former Member of Parliament in Kosovo and a witness to the transformative impact of Biden’s leadership, I can attest to the profound legacy he leaves behind. As a teenage refugee separated from my family, I experienced the horrors of war firsthand, and I survived with the hope that the international community would intervene. Biden’s actions in Kosovo were a defining moment not only in his career, but in the lives of millions of Kosovars. His ability to lead with conviction, compassion, and courage in the face of adversity was pivotal to saving Kosovo and bringing peace to the Balkans. I realized my dream of living in a free and independent country, pursuing my education in the U.S., and being able to return to and raise three children who can call Kosovo their home country.
Today, Kosovo stands as Europe’s youngest and most committed democracy, a testament to the core principle that Biden fought for: the right of people to live in freedom, democracy, and peace. His contributions to Kosovo’s liberation and long-term stability will never be forgotten by the people of my country. Indeed, as recently as April 2021, President Biden sent a letter to Kosovo’s President in which he clearly stated that the ongoing Kosovo-Serbia dialogue must conclude with “mutual recognition.”[xiii]
Thank you, Mr. President, for saving my country and advocating for a democratic Kosovo, a beacon of hope and stability in the heart of Europe. Your legacy is one of principled leadership and moral clarity, and for that, Kosovars will always be grateful.
[i] Ethnic Cleansing in Kosovo: An Accounting (1999). U.S. Department of State (Accessed: 4 October 2024).
[ii] Congressional Record, Vol. 145, Number 46 (Tuesday, March 23, 1999). U.S. Government Publishing Office (Accessed: 20 July 2024).
[iii] Senate Joint Resolution 20, 20 April 1999. https://www.congress.gov/106/bills/sjres20/BILLS-106sjres20rs.pdf (Accessed October 27, 2024).
[iv] NATO’s Role in Relation to the Conflict in Kosovo (1999). NATO Historical Overview (Accessed: 20 July 2024).
[v] Cloyes DioGuardi, S. 2002. “Senator Joseph Biden: An Independent Kosovo is Inevitable.” Albanian American Civic League, September 20.
[vi] Biden, J. R. 2007. “Opponents of New Kosovo Must Be Stopped.” The Financial Times, January 2. (Accessed: November 9, 2024).
[vii] Bilefski, D. 2018. “Kosovo Declares Independence from Serbia.” The New York Times, February 18. (Accessed: October 27, 2024).
[viii] S. Con. Res. 21 of 23 March 1999: A concurrent resolution authorizing the President of the United States to conduct military air operations and missile strikes against the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia (Serbia and Montenegro). U.S Senate (Accessed: 20 July 2024).
[ix] Shedd, D and Stradner, I. 2023. “Russia’s Second Front in Europe: The West Must Stop Putin from Provoking Conflict in the Balkans.” November 7. Foreign Affairs. (Accessed: October 27, 2024)
[x] The Crisis in Kosovo (May 6 and June 24, 1998). U.S. Senate Committee on Foreign Relations (Accessed: July 18, 2024).
[xi] Bislimi, F. T. 2022. “Serbia’s loyalty to Putin threatens renewed conflict in the heart of Europe.” EurActiv, March 3. (Accessed: 4 October 2024).
[xii] Biden, J. R. 2016. Speech at Bondsteel. August 16. https://xk.usembassy.gov/joe-biden/
[xiii] Crowcroft, O. 2021. “President Joe Biden says ‘mutual recognition’ key to Kosovo, Serbia talks.” Euronews, April 20. (Accessed: 4 October 2024).