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Putin Opposes Using force in Balkans
Russian President Vladimir Putin said Friday in Kiev that the use of force in the Balkans is fraught with dangers.
"Those who try to resolve the Balkan problems by force, in particular in Macedonia, must know that they will face force, not imitation of force," he told reporters after talks with Macedonian President Boris Trajkovski.
Accusing terrorists in the region of attempting to "carve up the map of Europe," Putin urged the international community to be fully aware of this and not to be deceived because "terrorists will invent new pretexts for their destructive activities."
The Russian president insisted that the Balkan problem could not be resolved "purely by declarations or simulation of actions," stressing that channels of weapon supplies to the region must be blocked.
"The problem of disarming terrorists in Kosovo and the Balkans is long overdue, and in this regard Russia is supporting the international community, which has made efforts to disarm the terrorists," he noted.
Trajkovski said that he shares Putin's views on the Balkan issue, and called on the international community to play an important role in resolving the problem.
Putin and Trajkovski arrived here Thursday for the celebrations of the 10th anniversary of Ukraine's independence from the former Soviet Union.
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