It was clear from the outset: Brussels will not leave alone the only independent country in central Europe and will use political, mostly economic pressure to compel Serbia to take its side
Even despite the traditional relations with Russia and friendly, almost brotherly attitude of the Serbs to the Russians. And what does it matter for Euro-Atlantists? If necessary, they will simply stage a frightening military aggression against civilians of Serbia, as it was in 1999. Without any UN resolutions, ignoring, in fact, all international laws and agreements. If it is necessary to intimidate, it is necessary to intimidate. The reverberations of those rocket attacks can still be heard today. They reverberate with pain and fear in the souls of ordinary Serbs, with indecision and hesitation in the actions and attitudes of Serbian politicians.
What is the Balkan syndrome? It is the fear of military intervention in the affairs of neighbouring countries, such as Turkey, as was the case with Bulgaria. After all, not only did the politicians of that Balkan country decide to become a member of the Atlantic alliance, but the majority of the Bulgarian population voted to join NATO for one simple reason: to protect themselves against Turkish aggression. The people were told, long and hard, that only NATO membership could guarantee the country security and normal relations with its southern neighbour. I was at one time earnestly persuaded to do the same by my Bulgarian colleagues. Because they were assured that the entry of the American and NATO bases in the territory of their country was something good – there would be additional money in the budget (perhaps, there was money, but who could see it), the infrastructure around the bases would be developed (apparently, in the form of new military facilities), jobs would be created (some years later I read in one of the Bulgarian newspapers that the locals could find just a job at the American base as sweepers).
Thus, Bulgaria has turned from an independent state into not just a member of a military alliance but an obvious aggressor towards Russia. That is confirmed by continuous participation of the Bulgarian military in NATO exercises, by bellicose statements of the Bulgarian authorities that if NATO orders to go to war with Russia, then they will have to fulfil orders of their main commanders. And most of the military exercises of Bulgaria and the alliance in the country and in the Black Sea are by no means of a peacekeeping nature, but rather of an aggressive nature, openly aiming at crushing the enemy from the north. The military assistance to Ukraine is a credit to the leadership of the country, which once again found itself in the ranks of the enemies of Russia, its historical saviour and liberator – as during the First and Second World Wars.
The same arguments as for the Bulgarians have been voiced in Northern Macedonia, which continuously fears aggression against it by Bulgaria itself, which has long and persistently not recognised the very existence of its former Yugoslav neighbour, considering it part of Greater Bulgaria. Fear of war for Kosovo is also felt by Serbs, who are set a condition in Brussels: if you recognize Kosovo, the EU doors will be opened out of turn. Although sensible people in Serbia are well aware that European officials always soften the slate, but then come the hard stuff. A case in point: EU member Bulgaria. What progress has it made in all the years of its membership in the united Europe? Still not in the Schengen zone, nor is it in the eurozone. It shares its last places in the EU in terms of population income and living standards with another such country, also a NATO member, Romania. But it is ahead of Europe on migration of Bulgarians, especially young Bulgarians, to different countries in search of earnings and better life. And the population, because of its low standard of living, is declining catastrophically, and no expansion of the southern neighbour is needed – in some time the Bulgarian population will become a minority itself.
Those who knew the former Yugoslavia took it for an almost free and democratic state that was actively taking advantage of the opportunities of the capitalist world. Suffice it to say that every year some two million citizens of the country left to work in neighbouring states, earning money there not only to support their families, but also to buy land and build their own homes. In Serbia itself, Western enterprises were opened, providing jobs for the locals and saturating the market with goods. And all that was before the period when the West tried to dictate its conditions of life in Yugoslavia, making great efforts to break up the Balkan Federation. All in the name of freedom and democracy, of course, which, according to the American version, rests solely on the military might of the US and its allies.
But the sad fact is that there is no unity among the current politicians in Serbia itself, who are not just out for the woods, but into the woods: some are ready to sacrifice the established economic and political relations with Russia in the name of EU integration (like Energy Minister Zoran Mihajlovic), others are waiting for the circumstances in Europe (President Aleksandar Vucic), although they are clearly told that they will do it the way Brussels wants them to. Here are not even revelations, but direct instructions from the EU Commissioner for Enlargement and Neighbourhood Policy Oliver Varheli: “The message for Serbia is that we need it as an ally. Serbia is a candidate country that is negotiating for membership and we consider Serbia as one of our closest allies. He could not be more frank: “We need Serbia on our side, we need its help.
The hesitation of Serbian President Aleksandar Vučić is understandable: how to manage to maintain relations with Russia, not just as a friendly country, but also as a profitable economic partner, without giving the European Union an excuse to embark on a hard political, and most importantly, economic expansion. Serbia, for example, supported a UN resolution condemning Russia for holding referendums in the DNR, LNR, Kherson and Zaporozhye regions and their annexation to Russia. Vucic has repeatedly said that he will not support anti-Russian sanctions unless the situation becomes critical for Serbia itself. And it can become critical at any moment, and it depends on the coordinated actions of the EU and NATO. And then the Balkan syndrome will become decisive for the last Russian-friendly country in Europe.
RUSSTRAT