Why Does Russia Support Serbia and Why Does US Support Kosovo

7/30/2019 Why Does Russia Support Serbia and Why Does US Support Kosovo

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Why Does Russia Support Serbia and Why Does US Support Kosovo

By Slava Shirokov

You have probably heard in the news that Russia and the US are at odds on the

issue of Kosovo. So, why does Russians support the Serbs and why does America

support the Kosovars?

Russians have supported Serbia for centuries, mainly for geo-strategicconsiderations. Expanding Russia craved for access to the Mediterranean Sea, but

the Ottoman Empire and its successor Turkey (in collaboration with the Great

Britain) controlled the passage from the Black to the Mediterranean - Bosporus and

Dardanelles. Subjugated by the Ottoman Empire Serbia was a lynchpin of Russia's

policies and influence on the Balkan Peninsula.

Just how much importance the Russian tsars placed on their Balkan ally can be seen

by how many of their children they had married the Serbian kings and it came as no

surprise to anyone in 1914 that Russia would go to war with Austro-Hungary andeven the Kaiser Germany just to defend the Serbs.

Bosporus and Dardanelles are nowhere close to being as strategically important as

they used to be and, hence, what's in Serbia for Russia these days? For Russia, the

"eternal brotherhood" or "common religion" (to which Serbs appeal these days)

have never played a decisive role - Russia has always worried more about its "great

power" status and the balance of power of Europe. The Kremlin cares little about

secession of Kosovo or a violation of international law, but it does object to the

NATO and everything that it does.

And it should. The NATO expands, bombs, place missile defenses, places its troops

on the Russian border (the Baltics). Either it is a dying beast that is out of control or

a powerful foe that is destroying the remnants of the Soviet influence there is no

single reason why Russia should be comfortable and, as many pan-European


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invaders that Russia has seen in the past 200 years - there is no reason why it

should not to expect the worst.

One observer (Robert Pastor was his name) has wittingly pointed out: 'Russia has

always been too strong or two weak to fit into the global balance of power.' To

illustrate, it was Russia's weakness that did not allow deterring NATO from bombing

Serbia in 1999 and it is Russia's growing strength today that makes it difficult for

her to accept the way that the NATO acts. Ironically, the NATO has become used to

this way of acting during the 90s.

But the balance is shifting. Russia is no longer struggling with a faltering economy

and a non-functioning government. It has a clearly-formulated foreign policy and

interests, including those in the Balkans. It has one of the two most powerful

militaries on the planet and, considering that the US and its allies are bogged down

in two wars that they can not win, - the most powerful. With power comes pride.

What is in Kosovo for the US? Nothing. Self-determination and democracy rhetoric

apart, there is not a single argument explaining why the US would support Kosovo's

independence. Some observers point out that 'US supported Kosovo secession to

close the final chapter of the NATO operation against Serbia.' It is difficult to see

how the creation of a client puppet Muslim state with a ruined economy and no

ability to govern itself would be a closing chapter to anything. Why then would the

US risk tainting its relationship with one of the most important countries on earth for

something that it has no interest in?

There is one country that has a long history of "disliking" Russia, long history of

confrontation with Russia regardless of who seats in the Kremlin: tsars, Bolshevik's,

or President Putin. It is United Kingdom, that for some strange reason calls itself

Great Britain (wait a second, is there a Britain that is not great?).

My theory is that it was Britain who wanted Kosovo's secession, not the US. The

second most important country in the NATO alliance has been growing increasingly

wary of Russia's "bold" and "unacceptable" posture: assassinations of former KGB

spies on the British soil, of refusals to give out Russian citizens to the British courts,

of embarrassing evictions of British diplomats from Moscow, of attempts of

Gazprom to purchase British electric companies.


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British policies in Europe were well described by one of its own diplomats in the

days of the "Victorian Sunset" - "divide and conquer." And because the days of the

"Georgian Sunset" are long gone, Britain pretends to be a lap dog of a powerful

state across the Atlantic ocean. As it turns out the lap dog could still have claws tobite neighbors.

And just like when your neighbors dog bites you, it is your neighbors fault. It is not

the Brits who are getting their embassies burnt and it is not the Great Britain that is

being blamed by half of the world's population (this is how many people 30

countries that do not recognize Kosovo's independence represent).

American policy makers and diplomats are probably wondering why they supportedthe secession. Because Great Brits had asked them to. And why did Americans

listen? First, they did not think it was such a big deal. Second, they needed to

appease Britain for unequivocal and unflinching support and participation in the

both wars that America is now fighting. The problem is that further disappointing

half of the world's population, does not really help the effort to win those wars, and

neither does establishing a precedent of carving up countries, especially, when you

have pledged not to carve any countries where you are fighting.

American analysts discuss how Russia could respond to the public humiliation of itsallies and ultimately itself, but the visit of Russia's future President Mr. Medvedev

will be as far as it will go. Russia has bigger stakes than that and alienation with the

West would not be constructive for Russia's growth. Moscow will "say much," but do

little.

The Kremlin is collecting applauds from the Russians, who appreciate its strong,

albeit vocal opposition to the secession; from the Serbs, who appreciate 1.5 bln

dollar energy investment announced few days after secession of Kosovo; from the

former soviet republics, who are becoming increasingly aware of how much of theirown territorial integrity depends on Moscow's will; of the Westerners growing sick of

their governments interventionism.

As one Russian diplomat has recently pointed out on one of the sessions of EU

parliament: "You did not like is when we were under the tsars; you did not like us


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when we were communists; you don't like us now. Maybe you just don't like us?" To

get the Russian view on Kosovo, don't watch CNN which operates on this premise

that Russia is evil. Mr. Putin may not be the best democratic leader, but Russians

have a legitimate concern about intentions of the NATO and the US in particular.

And by the way, there is not a single reason why you should not travel to Russia.

I graduated from New York University with MA degree in politics and currently work

for Travel All Russia - America's best travel agency when it comes to tours to

Russia.

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Why Does Russia Support Serbia and Why Does US Support Kosovo