US keeps national emergency for the Western Balkans in force, corruption and undermining sovereignty deemed a threat to American security

The White House has officially announced that the state of national emergency related to the Western Balkans will continue for another year.

With an order signed by the President of the United States, Donald Trump, Washington assesses that developments in the region still pose an unusual threat to US national security and foreign policy. This assessment includes widespread corruption, the undermining of postwar agreements, and efforts to damage territorial integrity.

The national emergency, initially declared in 2001, will remain in force beyond the June 26, 2026 deadline, in accordance with the US National Emergencies Act.

The first executive order, 13219, was issued on June 26, 2001 in response to extremist violence in what is now North Macedonia, as well as obstacles to the implementation of the Dayton Agreement in Bosnia and UN Resolution 1244 in Kosovo. Over the past two decades, however, the content and scope of this order have been significantly transformed to adapt to new risks in the region.

In June 2021, the scope of the emergency was officially expanded to include the territory of the Republic of Albania. The US concluded that widespread corruption in governments and various institutions of the Western Balkans, together with the undermining of postwar institutions, hinders progress toward effective and democratic governance, as well as full integration into Euro-Atlantic institutions.

The White House’s official announcement emphasizes that the latest actions under this emergency were taken through Executive Order EO 14140, signed on January 8, 2025. This decision was made following troubling developments showing that certain individuals in the Western Balkans continue to challenge the sovereignty and territorial integrity of countries in the region.

The document underlines that these actors not only damage the rule of law through significant corruption, but are also actively engaged in circumventing and evading sanctions imposed by the United States government.

Because the actions of individuals who threaten peace and international efforts to stabilize the Balkans continue to remain a real threat, the national emergency has officially been extended by 1 year. The notice will be published in the Federal Register and sent immediately to the US Congress for further procedures.