With two regional wars, in Ukraine, on the border with the Republic of Moldova, and in the Middle East, threatening world peace, the Americans and Europeans are rushing to shield the Balkans to prevent a new hotbed of unrest in Europe, Kathimerini of Greece reports, being quoted by stiripesources and IPN.
The for now veiled Russian threats against Moldova are heightening concerns in the West about developments fueled by “malign influences” that could “ignite” a third war in the Balkans.
The outcome of the conflict in Ukraine causes, according to international analysts, fears that in the event of Putin’s victory he will turn to Moldova, but even if he feels that the “special military operation” is bogged down, he will not hesitate to incite ethnic and border conflicts as a distraction in the Balkans.
In this climate, the United States Senate Committee on Foreign Relations, a few days ago, the Democrats and Republicans approved a bill “to strengthen American involvement in the Western Balkans”. The bill urges the U.S. and its European allies to strengthen relations with Albania, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Croatia, Kosovo, Montenegro, North Macedonia and Serbia in response to Russian influence and particularly their dependence on Russian natural gas, stressing that “is in the mutual interest of the United States and the countries of the Western Balkans.”
More detailed, the Greek-American retired admiral John Stavridis, former NATO Supreme Allied Commander Europe, in his article (Bloomberg Opinion) on Putin’s plans warns: “If he emerges victorious (in Ukraine) it makes sense for him to turn his attention to Moldova, the next stop on his way to Southeast Europe – where a pro-Russian separatist enclave, Transnistria, is already occupied by Russia. But there is another very attractive target nearby, the Western Balkans. The Kremlin has its eyes on Serbia, Kosovo and the ethnically divided country of Bosnia-Herzegovina.”
In Romania, they are constantly increasing the personnel and armament of the NATO military base there, the largest in Europe, in view of developments in Moldova. They are promoting Albania as a military gateway to the Balkans. They are giving Vucic (President of Serbia, e.n.) French Rafals, which the Albanians also want fervently, and arming also Kosovo, to which the British are sending Javelin anti-tank missiles, causing anger in Belgrade.
According to Stavridis, “fortunately”, the West has options. “While for now the idea of deploying NATO forces in Ukraine is unlikely, increasing the level of troops deployed in Kosovo today, and preempting the unrest that Putin is trying to foment is feasible and certainly makes strategic sense.”
