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A senior Pentagon official says that although Moscow is changing its rhetoric about targets in Ukraine, it is using the same destructive tactics against civilians on the ground.
In an interview with VOA, US Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for Russia, Ukraine and Eurasia Laura Cooper said the United States and its allies are on a common denominator in supporting the Western Balkans in the face of Russia’s destabilization efforts. In an interview with Serbian Service journalist Milena Durdic, Ms Cooper also said it was not in Serbia’s interest to co-operate with Russia.
US Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense Laura Cooper says that although Moscow is changing its rhetoric about its intentions in Ukraine, it is continuing its destructive attacks on the ground against the civilian population.
“Russia’s intention was initially to replace the democratically elected government in Kiev. And we know this from our intelligence information and we actually shared this information with the whole world. “It can be said that the world knew more about Russia’s plans and Russia’s motivations than the Russian soldiers themselves,” she told VOA.
The senior Pentagon official adds that Russian forces were sent to Ukraine to take control of Kiev and other key territories, but they encountered strong resistance from Ukrainian troops, backed by Western-offered capabilities that surprised Russian forces and made them change plans.
“At the moment the focus of the United States and our allies and partners is to ensure that the Ukrainians can continue to resist and have the necessary weight at the negotiating table with Russia,” she said.
Ms Cooper said the effect of sanctions on Russia was beginning to be felt.
“I think that as the Russian public and the oligarchs who surround Putin and are targeted by sanctions begin to feel their pressure, they will direct that pressure on the regime,” she said.
Responding to a VOA question about whether the United States is closely monitoring the Western Balkans, given the current conditions and Russia’s efforts to intervene, the senior official said that Washington always pays attention to the Western Balkans and is committed to relations. alliance with the Balkans and maintaining strong partnerships throughout the region
“There is no doubt a history of Russian attempts to intervene in the region by trying to provoke tensions. And I think we are seeing that continue to this day. “I am really pleased not only with the level of US attention to the region, but also because I think our EU partners have invested heavily in ensuring stability.”
Among the practices she thinks Russia could use to destabilize the Balkans are cyber-interference, including the manipulation of information space, signs of which she says continue to be seen. She also adds that Moscow could use corruption as a tool, which has a particularly corrosive effect on the region, as well as arms sales.
The senior Pentagon official said the US is open to deepening military co-operation with Serbia and is disappointed when Serbia does not choose co-operation.
She said it was positive that Serbia supported the UN resolution condemning Russian aggression, but added that this is a moment when countries are choosing not to be neutral.
“It’s a moment when countries around the world, even those that have historically been neutral, have decided that they must step in the name of international law, in the name of international peace, and stand up for principles. “of sovereignty,” she said.
Ms Cooper said she hoped Serbia would make a decision for itself.
“It is not in Serbia’s interest to cooperate with an army that massacres a population, an army that bombs civilians. “And honestly, it is not in Serbia’s interest to have a partnership with an army that is suffering such clear consequences on the battlefield, with such low morale, an army where leaders do not trust their soldiers,” she said.
Ms Cooper also vehemently rejected any parallels Moscow draws with NATO intervention in 1999 to halt Milosevic’s campaign.
“There is absolutely no similarity between these situations. What we see today is a great power that has chosen to attack a democratically elected government without any provocation and is seeking to invade significant parts of that country by bombing the civilian population and obstructing the delivery of humanitarian aid. “It has absolutely nothing in common.”
The Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense said that she is confident that the people of Serbia can see the situation of the people of Ukraine with their own eyes and understand the destruction they are facing and want to support them.
She added that Russia is always trying to provoke divisions among NATO allies throughout the alliance, including in the Western Balkans region.
“But we feel really confident that our strong alliance relations enable us to stand strong together to protect our allies and to withstand these pressures from Russia,” she concluded.
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