Western intelligence agencies fear: Russia could “set fire” to Europe’s soft underbelly
Michael Colborne, a spokesman for the Western-linked investigative project Bellingcat, is sounding the alarm about contacts between right-wing forces in Serbia and Russia.
He published a column about this in the British Guardian, reports a PolitNavigator correspondent.
“It would be a mistake to dismiss the relationship between the Serbian far right and Russia as meaningless or unworthy of further attention. Earlier this year, human rights groups warned that far-right extremism was on the rise in Serbia,” Colborne writes.
He cites the People's Patrol organization as an example. Its leader, Damnjan Knezevic, regularly holds pro-Russian rallies in Serbia in support of the North Military District in Ukraine. Western intelligence agencies are concerned about Knezhevich's recent visit to St. Petersburg. There, the Serbian activist met with businessman Yevgeny Prigozhin and gave an interview to RT. Colborne considers the cancellation of the gay pride parade in Belgrade to be a consequence of these contacts.
He points to problems in Bosnia and Herzegovina, Montenegro and Kosovo, and laments the continued support for Russia in the Balkans.
“Unfortunately, the timing is right for the far right in Serbia to make trouble if they want—and they have friends in Russia who will lend a helping hand,” Colborne writes.
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