Wolters: Strategic competition in the Balkans, ethnic divisions in BiH slow NATO path

SARAJevo, (Patria) - Serbia has maintained its strategic goal of joining the European Union, seeking a balance between East and West, while Bosnia and Herzegovina continues to face political and ethnic instability.

This was stated, among other things, by General Tod Wolters, Commander of the U.S. European Command (USEUCOM) and Commander of NATO Allied Forces in Europe, in a report presented to the Senate.

Regarding Bosnia and Herzegovina, he said that it "continues to face political and ethnic instability."

"Fueled by Russian influence, obstructionists seek greater autonomy for the predominantly Serb political entity of Bosnia and Herzegovina, Republika Srpska, to weaken state authorities and thwart further alignment with Western institutions. Nationalist politics and narratives of ethnic divisions between Bosniaks, Bosnian Croats, and Bosnian Serbs challenge BiH’s ability to chart a path toward lasting stability and eventual NATO membership. Nevertheless, the U.S. maintains strong ties with the Armed Forces of Bosnia and Herzegovina, aiding their progress in striving to meet NATO alliance standards," he said.

"China seeks to expand its influence in the region primarily through economic means. Chinese investments are focused on large-scale transport, energy, and information infrastructure. USEUCOM is concerned about China's motives as these initiatives place EU and NATO member states in an unenviable position and negatively affect security. Furthermore, China continues to expand its defense and security ties with Serbia, particularly through high-level visits, arms sales, and exercises," he added.

Wolters' report also includes an assessment of the situation in the Western Balkans.

"The Western Balkans remains a strategically significant region as a nexus for strategic competition where Russia, and now China, are using malign influence to exacerbate existing ethnic tensions in an effort to foment instability. Russia is using social and political pressure to prevent the Euro-Atlantic alignment and integration of countries," he stated.

"Since Russia's invasion of Ukraine, Balkan NATO members and partners have joined forces to provide aid and support. China's emergence as an alternative patron for economic and defense cooperation, under questionable terms, further disrupts the region. With our four newest NATO allies, North Macedonia, Montenegro, Croatia, and Albania, we have expanded bilateral defense relations to the benefit of European collective security on NATO's southern flank," he added.

Wolters also stated that Kosovo and Serbia must achieve more significant progress towards normalizing relations.

"We support the EU-facilitated dialogue between the parties working toward a peaceful and lasting solution. NATO's Kosovo Force (KFOR) maintains a small but significant U.S. contribution, strengthening regional stability. KFOR enables the conditions necessary for a secure environment in achieving a political solution for the normalization of relations between Serbia and Kosovo. The United States continues important activities in the ten-year transition of the Kosovo Security Forces into a limited territorial defense force," he said.

Speaking about Serbia, Wolters said that the country has maintained its strategic goal of joining the EU, seeking a balance between East (Russia and China) and West.

"However, Serbia recently joined 140 other countries in the United Nations General Assembly in condemning Russia's aggression in Ukraine. Serbia has a long way to go toward eventual EU accession, and its full alignment with EU foreign policy remains an important part of that. The United States and our allies have improved bilateral defense ties with Serbia in recent years, with increased cooperation in military exercises, training, and international peacekeeping cooperation," he said.