Karen Pierce, the current British ambassador to the United States, is set to take on a new diplomatic role as the UK’s special envoy to the Western Balkans, it was confirmed on February 7. The news was first leaked on X by Sam Coates, deputy political editor at Sky News.

Pierce, whose term as ambassador to Washington is scheduled to end in early 2025, will replace Lord Stuart Peach, who was appointed special envoy to the region in December 2021. The change in leadership comes as the UK seeks to deepen its engagement with the Western Balkans, a region of growing geopolitical interest in Europe.

Prior to serving in Washington, Pierce was the UK's permanent representative to the United Nations in New York from 2018, following her tenure as director general for political affairs and chief operating officer at the Foreign and Commonwealth Office in London. Pierce can claim to hold some expertise in the Balkans, having previously served as the UK’s Balkans coordinator and deputy head of the Eastern Adriatic Department.

The UK government under Prime Minister Kier Starmer has displayed a renewed interest in the region. In November 2024, the UK signed agreements with Serbia, North Macedonia and Kosovo to tackle human trafficking and people smuggling across the region. The agreements, finalised during the European Political Community (EPC) summit in Budapest, focus on improving intelligence sharing and cross-border cooperation to dismantle criminal networks operating along the notorious migrant routes to the European Union and the UK.

Shifting dynamics in US-Balkans policy

The timing of Pierce’s appointment raises questions about the future direction of UK foreign policy toward the Balkans, as the US shifts its alliances under President Donald Trump and his special envoy Richard Grenell. US policy in the region is already seeing a marked shift, especially regarding Serbia-Kosovo relations.

On February 3, Grenell sharply criticised Kosovo’s Prime Minister Albin Kurti on X, stating that his government was not “trustworthy” and that his “unilateral actions” were destabilising the region. The UK, a key Nato ally, has been traditionally more sympathetic to Kosovo, and hostile towards Serbia, which may prove difficult as Washington changes its approach. 

Pierce’s appointment comes after the announcement of her successor in Washington. In December 2024, Starmer confirmed that Lord Peter Mandelson, a former European commissioner and Labour Party veteran, will replace Pierce as the British ambassador to the United States. The appointment was controversial, given Mandelson’s record of insults against Trump, referring to the now president as a “danger to the world” and “little short of a white nationalist and racist”. Mandelson has since back-tracked, saying that his comments were “childish and wrong”.