Garcević Analyzes Trump’s Victory: Implications for the Balkans and Global Relations
Vesko Garcević, Professor of the Practice of IR and Director of the BU Center for the Study of Europe at the Frederick S. Pardee School of Global Studies, provided extensive analysis of Donald Trump’s presidential victory across multiple media outlets, addressing implications for both the Balkans region and broader international relations.
In his Balkan regional commentary, Garcević appeared on several major outlets including Vijesti TV, where he offered initial reactions to Trump’s victory speech and discussed its implications for U.S. relations with Europe, Russia, and the Balkans. He also provided analysis for Al Jazeera Balkans and spoke with Bosnia and Herzegovina’s Dnevni Avaz about what Bosnia and Herzegovina should expect under a second Trump presidency in an interview available here.
On TV Bosnia and Herzegovina’s Global Special, Garcević discussed the day after the elections, focusing on frustration with Biden’s economic policy and Democratic Party’s handling of working class voters’ needs across racial demographics.
Speaking to BU Today about broader international implications, Garcević addressed the future of NATO, noting that while “Trump has a long history of bashing comments about NATO, particularly European allies,” a U.S. withdrawal remains “highly unlikely” given the requirement for two-thirds Senate approval.
He suggested Trump’s victory will likely shift America’s approach to Moscow, raising questions about the U.S. role in European security after the Ukrainian war. “Unstable/provisional multipolarity and hot peace will likely replace the current war,” Garcević observed.
Looking ahead, Garcević emphasized that with Trump returning to the White House, “the EU must develop new plans to increase autonomy, invest in European defense (surpassing a two-percent defense spending threshold), and guarantee Ukraine’s security in any future temporary or provisional peace agreement between Russia and Ukraine.”
Ambassador Vesko Garčević dealt with issues pertinent to European security and NATO for almost 14 years during his diplomatic career. In 2004, he was posted in Vienna to serve as Ambassador to Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe. He was Montenegro’s Ambassador to NATO from 2010 until 2014 and served as Montenegro’s National Coordinator for NATO from 2015 until he joined the faculty at the Pardee School. Learn more about Ambassador Garčević on his faculty profile.