The news that EUFOR is sending an additional 500 members of the reserve force to Bosnia and Herzegovina (BiH) “just in case” was not commented on by BiH officials. They did not deal with the war in Ukraine, at least not at the official level. While the question arises in the public whether the new EUFOR soldiers are a signal that security could be endangered in our country as well, some European politicians are also appearing with the thesis that Russia wants to destabilize the Western Balkans.
EUFOR emphasizes that they do not currently see a threat to stability in BiH, but believe that developments at the international level could eventually produce it. On the other hand, there are claims from some European officials that Vladimir Putin, through his political allies from the region, wants to destabilize the Western Balkans.
“We want a constitutional BiH, not a disintegrated BiH or any other that is not talked about in that way. I think we will have to sit down and discuss these issues if there is a will for that. But if we don’t do it, then processes are inevitable, called one way or another, it’s obvious that things aren’t working, “ told Milorad Dodik, member of the Presidency of BiH.
Professional public – divided just like the politicians. While some fear that what is in Ukraine today could be transferred to BiH tomorrow due to the moves of the authorities from the Republika Srpska (RS), others claim that classic spin is on the scene.
“If the political actors in BiH and a little wider, the regional ones behave as they have done so far and if Serbia does not clearly distance itself from Russia’s policy and if the West only continues to express concern, then I am afraid there is a certain risk, “ explained Jahja Muhasilovic, International University of Sarajevo.
“There is no possibility for Russia to do anything here, nor for Milorad Dodik or the RS to do that. It is a continuation, all these accusations are a continuation from the previous year of the accusation that the RS started the war secession. As we have seen, none of this has happened, “ stated Srdjan Perisic, University of East Sarajevo.
BiH officials have again shown disunity since the start of the Russian-Ukrainian conflict. Politicians from the Federation of BiH (FBiH) are sending messages of support to Ukraine and its people, while those from RS say that it is not smart to choose only one side.
“No small country has the capacity to cope with these challenges on its own. If it wants to preserve its integrity, it must be part of greater integration. So it is very clear – whether you want to side with Euro-Atlantic integration or you will go with the Russians, “ pointed out Ranko Mavrak, a journalist.
It would be best for politicians from BiH to deal with internalpolitics first, analysts say.
“I can only express the hope that all actors in the Western Balkans, and especially in BiH, will be sober-minded enough, despite this escalation in our wider neighborhood, to simply resist that temptation, to try to use it to raise their price with their foreign policy mentors, “ told Milan Sitarski, Institute for Socio-Political Issues.
Other countries are closely monitoring the situation in Ukraine, but are already reacting in a certain way, considering the economic or political consequences of the crisis. At the level of BiH, all this has not even been discussed so far.
E.Dz.
Source: BHRT
