BY SELIM IBRAIMIRussia’s Ambassador to the European Union (EU) Vladimir Chizov said that Macedonia’s NATO membership would destabilize the Western Balkans region and Europe.

Analysis

Some growing concerns about N.Macedonia’s initial NATO membership have taken place before the process of constitutional changes and the coming to power of Prime Minister Zoran Zaev. During VMRO-DPMNE’s governance with its partners, the country became ready for a Russian alliance, providing Russian and gas services with easy access to Macedonia’s market and opening territory for the deployment of Russian armaments. Though late, the campaign was prevented by American intervention in Macedonia and the formation of a new government to redesign the new Balkans that would have a new role in the EU.

A variable that is still being analyzed remains Serbia’s foreign and military policy that for the United States remains a state that must return to the US sphere of interests. Washington’s eventual failure to push Serbia toward NATO would be a new “Iron Curtain” in Europe and the Balkans with the real formation of new military blocs.

The “Special Zone” would be relocated to Serbia with possibility of the deployment of Russian military systems in the south of the Balkans. Such a militarization of Southeast Europe would pose a permanent threat to Northern Macedonia. However, Serbian consensus is enormous and relates to the territorial changes it requires from Washington to return to the NATO Military Alliance.

Since Northern Macedonia has started the process of NATO membership, the fragile interethnic situation will continue to be of interest to external factors. At the US Congress, the 70th anniversary of Alliance  was celebrated in the unclear times of President Donald Trump and transatlantic ties. (@ISSDMacedonia)

 

[box type=”info” align=”aligncenter” ]Part III Geopolitical Monographs by Selim Ibraimi- 2019

This series examines the geopolitical foundations of the most influential countries in the Balkans and how these states influence the actions of nations in Southeast Europe and the European Union. [/box]