EU agrees with Zelensky on threat facing Balkans from Russia's goals of destabilise

European Union spokesman Peter Stano has said the EU agrees with the Ukraine president's statement Volodymyr Zelensky, who said Russia could create new crises in the Balkans and Moldova in order to draw world attention from the war in Ukraine.

Stano said the long-standing European Union has said Russia tries to exercise mountain influence in the Western Balkan region as well.

This is the concern we share and this is not the new concern. We agree at this point with the Ukrainian president and we know Russia is doing everything to sow discontent, not political stability, foreign influence, intelligence manipulation and other things”, Stano said.

Zelensky called on the EU to pay attention to the Balkans, as he said “believe me, we have information, Russia has a long plan, the second distraction will be the Balkans”.

Asked whether they have any specific information from Ukraine, Stano said the EU comments on information that they exchange with their partners, especially when it comes to something specific like this.

But we've been monitoring these Russian activities for a while, we have information and we know what Russia is trying to do and we're really working very hard with our partners in the Western Balkans about it. It was also an issue that has been raised at the Western Balkan foreign ministers' meeting with EU member ministers”, Stano said.