Why Kosovo doesn’t matter, and how it should

Abstract

Although observers from around the world have suggested that the ‘Kosovo problem’, particularly if it resulted in independence, had the potential to unsettle world politics, this is simply not likely. We argue that the Kosovo case is so unique that it is not an exemplar for international affairs. In other words, due to factors such as the scale of international investment, security commitments, and great power tutelage and recognition, Kosovo just ‘doesn’t matter’ as a model for other separatist movements. That being said, we conclude with at least one feature of the long-running Kosovo intervention that has become an important pattern in US diplomacy – the liberation of average Muslim citizens from tyranny.