Ex-NATO commander: putin may try to stir up the Balkans to distract the West from Ukraine
Kyiv • UNN
A former NATO commander warns that russia may be stirring up tensions in the Balkans to distract Western attention from its invasion of Ukraine.
To divert NATO's attention from its illegal invasion of Ukraine, russia is inflaming the political situation and intensifying religious strife in Kosovo and Bosnia. This is what retired US Navy Admiral and former NATO Supreme Allied Commander James Stavridis wrote in a column for Bloomberg, UNN reports.
Details
He writes that the western Balkans are an attractive target for russian policymakers who want to try to expand russian influence and undermine the involvement of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization and the European Union in this part of Europe.
Stavridis recalls that after the breakup of Yugoslavia, up to 105,000 people died in the Balkan wars of 1991-2001. Therefore, tensions remain between Roman Catholics in Croatia, Orthodox Christians mainly in Serbia and Muslims in Albania, Kosovo and Bosnia.
putin is eager to capitalize on this unfinished story. He knows that if NATO member states are drawn back into policing the troubled Balkans, it will divert their attention from supporting Ukraine
In his opinion, the russian authorities are working to destabilize the situation in Kosovo and Bosnia and Herzegovina, as it would be beneficial for russia to stir up the situation in other parts of Europe in an effort to weaken NATO's credibility and distract the Alliance from supporting Ukraine.
To prevent this, Stavridis proposes to increase the number of peacekeepers deployed in Kosovo now to prevent the unrest that putin is trying to foment.
This would be an example of an effective regional distribution of efforts within the Alliance: NATO countries in and around the Balkans (e.g., Greece and Italy) could focus on the region. Eastern European and Northern European Allies could lead the effort on Ukraine. The major countries in the West-France, Germany, the United Kingdom, and the United States-have the resources to engage in both processes
He also reminds us that russia could unleash a so-called hybrid war in the Balkans, using social media, disinformation campaigns and pro-russian propaganda to create tensions. NATO should therefore use its own information networks to expose and counter these false narratives.
If the russians decide to raise the stakes, they could use cyberattacks against power grids and other vital facilities in Kosovo and non-Serb parts of Bosnia. This would create confusion and increase social discontent. NATO can provide better cyber defense systems to Balkan allies and friends
NATO can also use economic incentives that can counteract russian interference. For example, for Serbia and Bosnia and Herzegovina, which are seeking EU membership.
