Letter from Washington: Living in Trump's Topsy-Turvy World

Washington is currently consumed by yet another war launched by the self-styled “president of peace,” Donald Trump. The conflict with Iran, vague in both its origins and objectives, has fractured Trump’s MAGA base and driven another wedge between the United States and its allies. Balkan leaders have, predictably, chosen sides.

And while the war dominates headlines, something quieter, but perhaps more durable is taking shape in the background: a new web of US-Balkan ties built on the language of sovereignty, Judeo-Christian identity, and an increasingly overt strain of Islamophobia now entering the mainstream in Washington.

These are no longer fringe ideas. They are echoed by members of Congress and amplified by figures like Pentagon chief Pete Hegseth who quotes the Bible while talking about the war with Iran, lending it the tone of a crusade. For the Balkan right, this is familiar and comfortable terrain.

When it comes to this war, loyalty to Trump has become the defining posture across much of the region. Albania, North Macedonia, Montenegro and Kosovo have all clearly aligned themselves.