Is the U.S. Back in the Western Balkans? A Debrief with Congressman Mike Turner

In this special #BalkansDebrief interview, Congressman Mike Turner, co-chair of the Congressional Bosnia Caucus and head of the U.S. delegation to the NATO Parliamentary Assembly, discusses whether the United States is truly re-engaging in the Western Balkans under its new national security strategy released in late 2025.

The Republican Representative of Ohio’s 10th District – and former mayor of the city of Dayton, Ohio – Mike Turner speaks candidly with Ilva Tare, Resident Senior Fellow at the Europe Center, about U.S. sanctions, the Western Balkans Democracy and Prosperity Act included at the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA), and Washington’s long-term commitment to peace, stability, and democratic institutions in the region. He reflects on 30 years since the Dayton Peace Accords, arguing that while Dayton ended the war, it was never meant to be a permanent governing framework.

The conversation also addresses Bosnia and Herzegovina’s fragile political balance, including concerns over Milorad Dodik’s secessionist rhetoric. Rep. Turner notes that sanctions remain a tool on the table if destabilizing behavior continues, while emphasizing the need for renewed international engagement to support reform and reconciliation.

The Debrief also discusses Serbia–Kosovo normalization and U.S. diplomatic leverage, Russian influence in the Balkans, NATO and EU enlargement, Montenegro as an EU frontrunner, U.S. cooperation with Albania and North Macedonia, and a message to young people who feel the region’s democratic transition is taking too long.