A content is published with the caption that claims that US President Donald Trump has lifted visas for Kosovo, attributing this success to Prime Minister Albin Kurti, and that he has described him as a very good partner in a statement to the BBC. It is also alleged that Trump has stated that Kosovo will enter Europe before Albania within seven years and that it will become a leader in the Balkans.
The content in question was published on Saturday (September 19) on Facebook by an account named “Tibas Sabit Dermaku Derma” (see here).
The same content was also published on TikTok by an account named “halitdardani” (see here).
What's wrong with the content?
This content is fabricated.
After verifying the image using the automated search program “InVID”, it was found that the content was also published by the account named “Nazmi Avdiu” in the Facebook group, “Poezi te bukra” and on TikTok from the account named “sergio..selimi2".
Overall, the posts have generated over 5 likes, over 50 views on TikTok, and nearly 500 comments, the content of which suggests that the audience is likely to perceive the claim as credible.
The search on "InVID" did not confirm the claim as true.
Because it is a statement allegedly made by the US president, hibrid.info has researched his personal accounts on Facebook and TruthSocial (see here and here). In the posts of recent days, no post has been found that confirms the claim in question.
Something like this is not confirmed even in the posts of the "White House" Facebook page (see here).
Because the news was allegedly reported by the “BBC”, hibrid.info checked the British media outlet’s website and searched for the words “kosovo” and “trump”. The articles displayed did not show the alleged reporting (see here and here).
The search then continued on the Google search engine, focusing directly on the alleged statement and Trump's general stance on Kurti (via search: donald trump on albin kurti) (see here and here).
Search results did not show any articles confirming Trump's alleged stance on lifting US visas for Kosovo or Prime Minister Kurti.
How does visa waiver work from the US to other countries?
According to a report According to the Congressional Research Service (CRS), the inclusion of a country in the US Visa Waiver Program requires the fulfillment of a series of legal and security criteria, while the decision to include it in the program is made through a process defined in US legislation.
For a country to be included in the Visa Waiver Program (VWP), it must meet a number of criteria, including a nonimmigrant visa refusal rate below 3%, electronic and biometric passports, reporting of lost or stolen passports, checks against relevant security databases, accepting repatriation of citizens, and sharing information with the United States on security matters. In addition, it must be determined that the country’s inclusion does not harm U.S. law enforcement and security interests. The process begins with a nomination by the State Department, while the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) conducts the final review and certifies whether the country meets the requirements. The Secretary of DHS, in consultation with the Secretary of State, then makes a determination for inclusion in the program.
EU membership
Contrary to the claim for Kosovo's inclusion in the European Union, this process is not determined by US President Donald Trump. The EU membership process is carried out through the institutions of the European Union and its member states, based on the criteria and procedures set for the enlargement of the Union (see here).
The European Commission (EC) assesses the progress of candidate and potential accession countries through regular progress reports. These reports analyse reforms undertaken, fulfilment of membership criteria and other areas relevant to the integration process. The European Commission may also make recommendations on the next steps in the process.
However, the key decisions on a country's progress in the accession process are not taken by the European Commission alone. For example, the opening of accession negotiations requires a unanimous decision by the governments of the member states in the Council of the European Union. Similarly, the completion of the process and accession require the approval and ratification of the Accession Treaty by the relevant EU institutions and states.
So, neither Kosovo's progress towards EU membership nor a possible deadline for membership are determined by US President Donald Trump. These issues are part of the EU enlargement process and depend on the fulfillment of criteria, reforms of the candidate country and decisions of the institutions and member states of the European Union.
Analyze
The claim that US President Donald Trump has declared that Kosovo's Prime Minister, Albin Kurti, is a "very good partner," that Kosovo will join Europe before Albania, and that within seven years it will become a leader in the Balkans, is false.
Hibrid.info has searched for the alleged statements in reliable sources, including the BBC website, which in the publication is claimed to be the source of the statements. Searches with the names “Donald Trump”, “Albin Kurti” and “Kosovo”, as well as with the alleged wording, have not resulted in any BBC reporting or other credible source confirming that Trump has made such statements.
Also, the claim that Trump has decided to lift US visas for Kosovo is incorrect. The inclusion of a country in the US Visa Waiver Program is carried out through an institutional process and assessments of security criteria, while such a decision is not presented as a personal decision of the US president in the sense claimed in this publication.
Meanwhile, Kosovo's claim to membership in the European Union cannot be determined by the US president. The European Commission assesses the progress of candidate and potential countries through enlargement reports, while important decisions for advancing the process, such as the opening of negotiations, require the unanimous consent of EU member states in the Council of the EU.
Therefore, based on its work methodology, hibrid.info assesses this content as "Fake News".
rationale
The “Fake News” rating is given to informational content that is entirely fabricated or that contains factually incorrect claims or information. Content that is rated as fake news can be defined as having been created and distributed with the intent to misinform the public, i.e., to present a claim that is completely false as fact.