Russia hits back at new US claims over Balkans
Russia has denounced the new US claim that it is working to divide the Balkans from the West, saying the accusation further exposes the “primitive” Cold War mentality that is dominating Washington.
"It is regrettable to note that Washington is sliding ever deeper into the primitive ideology of the Cold War era, which is completely detached from reality," the Russian Foreign Ministry said Thursday.
The comments were a response to allegations made by US Vice President Mike Pence a day earlier.
Visiting Montenegro on Wednesday as part of an ongoing tour of Eastern Europe, Pence criticized Moscow for adopting policies which he said destabilized the region and were unacceptable to the White House.
"As you all know, Russia continues to seek to redraw international borders by force and, here in the Western Balkans,” the VP told a summit attended by leaders of NATO members Montenegro, Croatia, Albania and Slovenia, as well as Serbia, Bosnia, Macedonia and Kosovo.
"We truly believe the future of the Western Balkans is in the West," he told reporters.
In its statement, the Russian Foreign Ministry called on Washington to stop defaming Russia and the foreign policy that Moscow had based on respect for allies and readiness to work with international partners.
The US and its Western allies accuse Russia of stepping up its activities in the former Yugoslavia, particularly among the Orthodox Christians of Serbia, Montenegro, Macedonia and Bosnia.
Earlier on Wednesday, US President Donald Trump reluctantly signed into law a piece of legislation by Congress that imposes new sanctions against Russia, Iran and North Korea.
The bill conspicuously limits Trump's ability to waive the penalties, a sign of mistrust by the Republican-controlled Congress which remains concerned by Trump's friendly words for Russian President Vladimir Putin.
The Kremlin said in response that the move amounted to a full-scale trade war and killed hopes for better ties with the new US administration.
In anticipation of Trump’s signing of the bill, the Russian Foreign Ministry announced last week that Moscow had asked Washington to cut its diplomatic staff in to 455. This means over 755 US diplomats must leave the country.
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