Amanda Thorpe: Why the Balkans Still Matter to Washington

In the first episode of the podcast Balkanomicon, hosted by Bosnian-American political scientist and !Odgovor contributor Jasmin Mujanović, guest Amanda Thorpe discussed how policymakers in Washington view the Western Balkans—and why the region, including Bosnia and Herzegovina, continues to matter strategically.

Članak je dostupan i na bosanskom jeziku

Thorpe, who spent roughly two decades working in the U.S. Congress and is now affiliated with the Atlantic Council, explained that American engagement with the Balkans has been unusually consistent across administrations and party lines.

“U.S. support and engagement with the Balkans for many decades has been relatively consistent and very bipartisan,” she said, pointing to a long list of political figures from both parties who supported involvement in the region.

For policymakers in Washington, the Balkans are often viewed through the broader lens of European security. Thorpe noted that the region is sometimes seen as a fragile part of the continent whose instability could quickly become a wider geopolitical problem.

One of the reasons the Balkans still attract attention in Washington is the interest of outside powers. “One of the reasons that I am deeply interested in the Balkans is because the Russians are deeply interested in the Balkans,” Thorpe said, adding that China’s growing presence also raises concerns among U.S. policymakers.

According to her, this dynamic makes the region strategically relevant even when it is not at the top of the global agenda.

Thorpe also highlighted a pragmatic argument frequently used in Washington debates about the region: it is easier to address tensions early than respond to a crisis later.

“It’s easier to solve these problems when they’re little… when they’re just challenges, as opposed to ignoring a region and then having something bad happen,” she explained.

The United States has maintained security and political involvement in the Western Balkans for decades, including through NATO missions and diplomatic engagement. That legacy, Thorpe suggested, still shapes how many officials in Washington think about the region today.

Another factor is expertise. The Balkans are widely seen in Washington as a complex political environment that requires deep knowledge. “Those who know the Balkans know them well,” Thorpe said, noting that the “price of admission” to discussions about the region is understanding its history and political dynamics.

For Bosnia and Herzegovina, this means that—even amid global crises—the country remains part of the strategic conversation in Washington. While it may not dominate headlines, stability in the Western Balkans is still viewed as an important element of European security and U.S. foreign policy.