Russia’s ambassador to Bosnia and Herzegovina, Igor Kalbukhov, warned on Thursday that Moscow could “react” if the Balkan country decides to join NATO, something that Sarajevo – the country’s capital – condemned as a “clear threat”. to its sovereignty.
“If (Bosnia and Herzegovina) decides to become a member of something, it’s an internal matter. Our reaction is something else. In the example of Ukraine, we show what we expect. If there are threats, we will react,” Kalbukhov said in an interview. to the television network “FTV”. According to the Russian ambassador, it is the West that poses a threat to Bosnia, which, in his view, is “lying” when he accuses Moscow of wanting to interfere in the country’s internal affairs.
“We have no plans. We will respond after analyzing the strategic and geopolitical situation”, declared the ambassador. The rotating leader of Bosnia’s tripartite presidency, Zeljko Komsic, condemned “in the strongest terms” the Russian diplomat’s statements. “The Russian ambassador’s message that there would be a reaction from Russia, citing here the example of Ukraine, against which Russia is practicing aggression, is an unequivocal and unacceptable threat to Bosnia and Herzegovina,” Komsic said.
According to him, the Russian diplomat’s words represent “not only a threat to Bosnia and Herzegovina, but to peace and stability in the western Balkans.” The US Embassy in Bosnia also criticized Kalbukhov’s statements, calling them “dangerous, irresponsible and unacceptable” and stressed that “no third country has a say in security agreements between NATO and sovereign states”.
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