Kasanof’s Appointment: Testing U.S. Integrity in the Balkans

Alexander "Sasha" Kasanof's appointment as U.S. envoy to the Balkans brings hopes for renewed diplomacy amid concerns about impartiality and navigating complex geopolitical challenges.

In a region perennially poised on the edge of volatility, the appointment of Alexander “Sasha” Kasanof as the next U.S. Deputy Assistant Secretary for the Western Balkans marks a significant moment. Kasanof’s career, decorated with accolades and marked by complex diplomatic assignments, places him at the center of a geopolitical maelstrom that is the Balkans. His past achievements, notably during the Maidan Revolution in Ukraine, stand in sharp contrast to the contentious environment he now enters.

But what kind of diplomat is Kasanof, and what does his arrival signal for the future of U.S. foreign policy in the region?