Julianne Smith, the US ambassador to NATO, issued a warning that Russia is using classic methods to cause instability in the Western Balkans.
Ahead of the meeting of NATO foreign ministers, Smith pointed out that “classic Russian action” has been observed in the Western Balkans for years, which includes the use of various hybrid tactics to destabilize the region.
“Destabilization is the ultimate goal. Russia uses classic tools for that, including disinformation, which it uses widely to divide societies within the region, divide Europe internally, and separate the United States from its European allies and our friends in the Western Balkans,” Smith said.
She emphasized that all Russian activities in the region are carefully monitored, and that there is close cooperation both with the countries of the Western Balkans that are members of NATO, and with those that are in the neighborhood of the NATO alliance, such as Bosnia and Herzegovina and Serbia, Klix.ba reports.