Yesterday at 23:40
Russia is engaged in destabilizing the situation in the Balkans so that one country is at war with another. And NATO, as in the case of Ukraine before the full-scale invasion, puts the main emphasis on negotiations in this situation. International columnist Nataliya Ishchenko stated this on the air of FREEDOM TV channel.
“Russia’s strategy to expand its influence and intervene in conflicts in various regions runs into the strategy of the West, which wants to calm the situation. Although NATO is a military bloc, the main focus of this organization is peacekeeping. And so, despite the fact that there is a full-scale war in the rest of Europe, NATO is trying to operate in the Balkans in the same way as it operated until February 24, 2022. That is, these are negotiations, diplomatic efforts. Although the military presence is indeed increasing, military training is being strengthened,” Ishchenko said.
In her opinion, the main ally of the Russian Federation in the Balkans is Serbia. She also said that an “explosion in the Balkans” had already happened – it was a small local war in the north of Kosovo, but the escalation was prevented. At the same time, the situation in the Balkans may worsen: the Russian scheme of invasion of Ukraine may be repeated in Kosovo, says Ishchenko.
“But NATO is just ready to respond in the Balkans, and more decisively than in Ukraine. NATO can control the skies in the region, there is already a NATO military contingent in Kosovo and a NATO-backed EU military mission in Bosnia and Herzegovina. That is, NATO already has a military infrastructure and is ready to respond,” the expert added.
