The Western Balkans will not be a priority issue for the Trump administration in foreign affairs but the issue of corruption will be, and it will be strongly addressed. After all, corruption and judicial obstruction are two key issues preventing the region from EU integration, said John Craig, Senior Fellow at the Mediterranean Basin, Middle East and Gulf Initiative of the Transatlantic Leadership Network in Washington, and former U.S. diplomat in an interview with FENA.

Craig, who has had a distinguished career including serving as U.S. Ambassador to Oman and Special Advisor to the President on the fight against terrorism during George W. Bush's administration, says that in foreign policy, we can expect many similarities between the new president-elect, Republican Donald Trump, and the administration of Joe Biden.

In fact, he emphasized, the Biden administration has continued many aspects of the foreign policy of Trump's first administration.

“There will be two current situations that the Trump administration will have to deal with Ukraine and China. Generally, Mr Trump does not favour or prefer armed conflict as a solution to any international crisis. We can expect him to try to end the fighting in Ukraine and initiate negotiations to resolve the situation brought about by the Russian invasion. As for China, Mr. Trump has been a hawk, or hardliner, seeking to punish China for excessive trade subsidies, human rights violations, and antidemocratic repression in Hong Kong. The Biden administration has been equally tough. We hope Mr. Trump will take a long-term view and seek diplomatic ways to deal with China and its leaders,” Craig said.

Commenting on Trump's victory on November 5 over Democratic candidate, Vice President Kamala Harris, Craig says that many professional analysts are raising and trying to answer the question of what was the key to Trump's victory.

“They agree that the elections were free and fair. In that case, it is up to the voters to decide based on their own analysis of the situation. What I believe is important to note is that the total votes for each candidate were approximately equal, 78 million for Trump and 74 million for Harris. Trump won, but the country is quite evenly divided. Trump may seek a mandate for change, but he must keep in mind that he is now president of all voters in the U.S.,” he said.

When asked about concerns that Trump's victory might negatively affect freedoms and democracy in the United States, Craig emphasizes that the elections in the U.S. on November 5 were free and fair.