Schmitt: Russia’s weakening in Ukraine could pave the way for European integration in the Balkans

Well-known historian Oliver Schmitt, in an interview for KOHA, said that Russia’s weakening in Ukraine could change the situation in the Balkans.

“Russia’s clear defeat in Ukraine will clearly change the situation in the Balkans. This is because Russia’s closest ally in the region, Serbia, will lose with Russia,” Schmitt said.

He believes that with the weakening of Russia, which is becoming more and more noticeable due to the war they started in Ukraine, the way to European integration will be opened for the Balkan countries.

“Both Russia in Ukraine and Serbia in the Balkans must lose. This should pave the way for a stabilization of the region and rapid European integration,” said the Swiss historian.

Schmitt said that there is a similarity between the relations that Russia has with Ukraine and those that Serbia has with Kosovo.

This is because, according to him, Serbia tends to have the same discourse towards Kosovo, as Russia has towards Ukraine.

“This is because I think that Kosovo-Serbia relations can be compared to Ukraine-Russia relations, in terms of Serbia’s strategy, Serbia’s nationalist discourse, the importance of the military secret service system in the organization of the state.”

Among other things, Schmitt said that he now sees an opportunity for the European integration process to accelerate, especially for Kosovo.

“The war against Ukraine can change the situation in the Balkans a little bit. We now have a dividing line, with countries like Serbia with pro-Russian tendencies and others. There is always talk of the Western Balkans, for me it is not a category of interpretation, because it is a group involved, it is the aggressive state of the ’80s,’ 90s, and other states that have been victims of an aggressive policy of Belgrade. Now it also depends on the initiative that political leaders can take here in the region. Because I see another opportunity to accelerate European integration, especially in the case of Kosovo. Kosovo has American troops here and NATO must ask the question, who is the real ally? “In the case of Bullgaria it is not clear, in the case of Kosovo it is very clear”, he said for KOHA. /The Geopost/