High Commander of NATO: In Balkans Russian influence is growing, we can have problems

High Commander of NATO, American General Curtis Scaparotti, has expressed concern over the increased influence of Russia in the Balkan region, where, according to him, the United States has lost focus.

General Scaparrotti, who is also commander of American troops in Europe, made these comments during a testimony to the Commission for Armed Services at the American Senate, during which he said that the United States and NATO are working together to counter greater threats to security in Europe to violent extremism and Russian attempts to destabilise.

The “Zona I am concerned about is the Balkans. Russia is working in the Balkans and we've taken attention of that” space, he said.

Moscow, which does not take a good look at integration into the European Union and specifically into NATO of Balkan countries, has stepped up efforts to extend its influence in the region, specifically exploiting Serbia and Bosnian Serbs because of historical ties.

General Scaparrotti said Russia is trying to stir up turmoil in the Balkans through dezinformation campaigns to local populations.

“This is a region in which we can have problems in the future”, he said.

The United States has expressed concern on several occasions even for an emergency centre Russia manages in the town of Nis in southern Serbia.

Several Western groups and military analysts see it as a camouflaged military base that the Kremlin has set up to oversee American interests in the Balkans.

Moscow requires that its personnel be granted diplomatic immunity, while denying any of its activities except emergency treatment.

The Russian centre, originally opened in 2012, is located relatively close to the 4 thousand-strong NATO peacekeeping force in Kosovo.

Part of the international forces in Kosovo are 600 American soldiers, who care about the security of the new state that just days ago celebrated the 10th anniversary of independence, opposed by Serbia and its ally, Russia. /voa/