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The US State Department said that Russia’s unprovoked and unjustified war against Ukraine makes clear the growing urgency it poses to the transatlantic alliance, the European integration of the Western Balkans.
A DASH spokesman responded to a request for comment from VOA after 19 members of the US Congress urged the administration of President Joe Biden to increase diplomatic engagement in the region. In a letter sent last week to Secretary of State Antony Blinken, it was stressed that increasing US engagement is more important than ever in the conditions created by Russian aggression in Ukraine.
The United States remains fully committed to achieving European integration for the countries of the Western Balkans. Russia has long been a destabilizing force and source of disinformation in the Western Balkans, for example, supporting a coup attempt in Montenegro in 2016 and ongoing efforts to fuel tensions in Bosnia and Herzegovina.
U.S. lawmakers from both parties stressed in their letter that “the full integration of the Western Balkans into the transatlantic community should be a priority for the United States as we strive to consolidate our alliances across Europe and oppose the spread and influence of autocratic regimes.” including those of Russia and China.
They stressed that US efforts should focus on increasing investment, commitment to rapid EU integration and promoting Kosovo-Serbia dialogue, while one of the signatories, Ritchie Torres, called for Kosovo’s rapid membership in NATO.
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