Anđelić: Kyiv is going through what Sarajevo did, for BiH approaching NATO is now more important than the EU

Professor of International Relations at Regent University in London, Neven Anđelić, explained his initiative for twinning Sarajevo and Kyiv for Patria. He also shared his thoughts on the potential destabilization of the Balkans.

Patria: Why the initiative to twin Kyiv and Sarajevo?

- Sarajevo, with its ill fate in the 90s, gained the status of a symbol of a city and society that, despite traumas, preserved universal human and civilizational values. Humanly and materially, Sarajevo suffered immense destruction, and that is currently happening in Kyiv, and no one should understand that better than the people from BiH. This is not about politics, but about the symbolic connection of people who have experienced suffering and destruction. Indirectly, this would draw further attention to what Kyiv is going through, but also remind of the horrors that the EU previously allowed in its backyard.

Patria: Your initiative has caused heated debates on social networks, due to Ukraine's role during the aggression against BiH, many are not favorably disposed towards it, did you expect that?

- Politics should not be mixed with human destinies. You see, yesterday in the European Parliament it was stated that only Serbia and BiH have not joined the sanctions against Russia. Of course, this does not depend on the citizens; in BiH, it is a reality of conflicting political elites who cannot agree on elementary matters, and because of them, we appear as a country that cannot position itself correctly regarding respect for human values. It is the same with the Ukrainian battalion that was in BiH; ordinary people should be separated from politics, because there were also Russian influences in Ukraine. There is also the argument about where the world was when the aggression against BiH was taking place. The world made a mistake, it should have reacted much earlier, but that does not mean the world should make a mistake again.

Patria: What can Sarajevo and BiH gain from twinning their capitals?

- I read an excellent comment on social networks with the example of a woman being hit by a car. Without elaborating, it all comes down to whether we will help her, or will we discuss whether she was walking where she should have been, whether the driver is better than many others, and whether the woman will become a pedophile if she survives. One thing is certain - being hit by cars should stop. This is about connecting people who understand each other, rising above current political frameworks. On the other hand, considering the image that politics from BiH has sent to the EU because it cannot impose sanctions, Sarajevo could return BiH to the circle of the "good ones". Besides, after everything it has survived, Sarajevo would once again prove that it can be and is a moral leader from whom Europe can learn a lot.

Patria: An environment is being created in BiH that the aggression against Ukraine could open the eyes of the international community, are the hopes realistic that BiH will also move towards the EU via a shortcut?

- I would like that to happen, but one should not harbor excessive hopes. The candidate status for Ukraine is a symbolic move, but it does not mean that the EU, due to real concerns, will not demand the fulfillment of other criteria. BiH is at the very bottom of countries in the fight against corruption and the rule of law; Ukraine is behind it. The decision on EU accession is made by its citizens, and they need to be convinced that new members will not bring new problems to its functioning. For BiH at this moment, approaching NATO is more important, because it guarantees peace and stability, and then it is easier to do the things that are expected of us.

Patria: Can the Russians destabilize the Balkans?

- That is more a question of Russia's capacity, which in my opinion is questionable for creating instability in the Balkans. There are three zones in which Russia wants influence: the Caucasus, Eastern Europe, and the Western Balkans. Apart from Ukraine, Russia has departed from Putin's doctrine, as the country's foreign policy is called, which is based on constructive destruction aimed at respecting Russia's interests and influence. This would mean that Russia is ready to discuss everything except the expansion of NATO to Ukraine.