Albanian Prime Minister Edi Rama on Thursday, February 19, 2026, strongly endorsed U.S. President Donald Trump’s newly launched Board of Peace initiative, dismissing European concerns that it seeks to replace the United Nations and instead describing it as a potential catalyst to “shake” and revitalize the world body.
Speaking at the inaugural meeting of the Board of Peace in Washington, D.C., Rama thanked President Trump for including Albania among the founding participants and praised what he called Trump’s “decisive role in bringing a halt to the heartbreaking conflict in Gaza.” He highlighted Albania’s full institutional commitment, noting that the Albanian parliament had passed a fully aligned bipartisan vote confirming the country’s participation and financial contribution to the initiative.
“Many in Europe say the Board of Peace is meant to substitute the United Nations,” Rama stated in his remarks. “It does not look to me like an attempt to replace the UN, but if it helps shake that agonizing giant and wake it up, then God bless the Board of Peace.”
The Albanian leader emphasized that the $10 billion private endowment announced by Trump earlier in the week represents a pragmatic complement to existing multilateral institutions rather than a rival structure. He urged the Board to prioritize direct national contributions to humanitarian relief, specifically calling for the creation of a dedicated public facility to support Palestinian children in Gaza. Rama reiterated that Albania’s engagement would focus on child protection and post-conflict stabilization in the region.
Rama also confirmed that Albania has already committed troops to the Board’s proposed stabilization force, aligning with the initiative’s stated goal of rapid-response mediation and peacekeeping in emerging conflict zones.
In a separate but related portion of his address, the prime minister turned to the ongoing war crimes trial of former Kosovo President Hashim Thaçi and three other former Kosovo Liberation Army (KLA) commanders at the Kosovo Specialist Chambers in The Hague. Prosecutors last week requested a 45-year prison sentence for Thaçi following nearly three years of proceedings related to alleged crimes during and after the 1998–1999 Kosovo conflict.
Rama expressed deep concern that the protracted judicial process risks destabilizing the Western Balkans and appealed directly to President Trump for intervention. “Let’s do something before, as you say, very bad things might happen again,” he said, warning of renewed ethnic tensions and regional insecurity if the trial ends in a perceived miscarriage of justice.
“At this moment, only a few months stand between a man who rose from resistance to ethnic cleansing to become a peacemaker and the potentially devastated outcome in a court that has so far failed at every step to uphold the standards of democratic justice,” Rama added.
The Albanian premier argued that prolonged uncertainty over the fate of Thaçi—a figure widely regarded as a national hero in Kosovo and a key partner in regional peace efforts—could undermine fragile post-conflict reconciliation and embolden extremist voices on all sides.
The dual message—enthusiastic support for the Board of Peace coupled with an urgent appeal on the Thaçi case—reflects Albania’s strategic positioning as a staunch U.S. ally in the Balkans while advancing its long-standing advocacy for Kosovo’s stability and international recognition.
The Board of Peace, formally launched earlier this month with Trump’s $10 billion personal pledge, aims to operate as an independent, non-governmental entity focused on early-warning conflict prevention, back-channel diplomacy, mediation, and rapid humanitarian stabilization. Its 15-member founding board includes former heads of state, retired military leaders, Nobel laureates, and conflict-resolution experts, though full membership has not yet been publicly disclosed.
President Trump, who personally attended the first meeting, welcomed Rama’s remarks and reiterated his view that traditional multilateral institutions have become “slow, bureaucratic, and ineffective.” He described the Board as “a new model—fast, flexible, and funded to act, not just talk.”
The Albanian parliament’s bipartisan endorsement—passed with overwhelming support from both the ruling Socialist Party and the opposition Democratic Party—underscores broad domestic consensus on Albania’s participation. Tirana has pledged both financial contributions and military personnel for stabilization missions.
Rama’s intervention on the Thaçi trial adds a regional dimension to the Board’s agenda. Analysts note that any future Board-mediated diplomatic effort in the Balkans would likely need to address lingering war-crimes legacies to build trust among Serb, Albanian, and Kosovo Serb communities.
The first meeting of the Board of Peace concluded with commitments to finalize operational guidelines, establish headquarters (rumored to be in a neutral location outside the United States), and launch initial pilot projects in high-risk zones by mid-2026.
As one of the smallest but most vocal founding members, Albania’s early and enthusiastic participation is seen as a diplomatic win for Prime Minister Rama, reinforcing Tirana’s alignment with Washington while amplifying its voice on Balkan stability and humanitarian priorities.
