Bugajxi: Moscow Views Skopje as New Bassion in Balkans

“If Macedonia's path to Western institutions is blocked, national tensions will increase across the region, while the Kremlin will invest additional energy to jeopardise the fragile democratic achievements in the Western Balkans, while the European Union and NATO will be further and further away from”, Bugajski says in a statement to the “Pobjeda” of Podgorica.

He adds that low access to the referendum has brought the agreement into question with Greece, but also the door opened by NATO and the EU.

If the agreement is not supported, the country is more exposed to ethnic radicalisation, regional instability and the mix of Moscow. Zaev's only breakthrough may be calling for early elections in November, even though it naturally presents dangerous proposals, given that nationalists are encouraged by the boycott of referendum”, Bugajski says.

The renowned analyst stresses that if Serbian President Aleksandar Vuciq and Kosovo President Hashim Thaci have reached agreement on changing borders, some Albanian leaders -- both in Kosovo and Macedonia -- can see opportunities for further ethnic homogenisation, the connection of territories.

“Nationalism, separatism will make the country very sensitive to Russia's impact”, Bugajski estimates, adding that Moscow in Macedonia sees as in a bastion of its fight against NATO and the EU.