Balkan match: America took the lead with 1: 0, Russia in counter-attack, China and Turkey from the sides, EU on goal

Although the European Union has sent billions of euros and a whole army of diplomats and experts to the Balkans, the proposed solutions to political crises, such as in Albania and Macedonia, have only been carried out after the great involvement of US diplomats, writes "Deutsche Welle".

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In football language, in the final game of great forces for the control and influence on Balkans the current score is 1:0 for the USA, Russia is still not giving up, China and Turkey are rushing from the sides, and EU is in defense, writes the German radio.

The Western Balkans have been a playing ground of the great powers for centuries, the Habsburgs against the Ottomans, the Western system of values against the communist states - they were rivals during the history, says Deutsche Welle, adding that it is now again about power and influence in the region.

Foto: Wikipedia/Captain Blood

The Americans and Russians are on the offensive this time, but China and Turkey are also involved, while the EU is falling behind with the greatest personal and financial engagement.

- Russia and USA are increasingly fighting on the Balkans - respectable informative "t-portal" from Croatia analysed it a few days ago, from the youngest member of the EU and adds: " Only one small conflict can set the powder keg on fire"; "Serbia is juggling between Brussels and Moscow", press from Belgrade is writing this week; "New Magazine" sees the "Russian-American energy war on the land of Europe" - and the Balkans at its center, states the German radio.

American Vice President Mike Pence visited small Montenegro, which joined NATO this year, with strong objections from Russia, reminds the German Portal.

Foto: tanjug/ AP/ Visar Kryeziu

- Here in the Western Balkans, Russia is working to destabilize the region in order to undermine its democracy and split it - said Pence in front of almost all heads of governments from the region.

The US and President Donald Tramp are supporting South East Europe against Moscow, according to the German radio.

Those aggressive tonnes have already met criticism, first of all in Serbia - Russia is not the one that brings destabilization here - but the West, said the minister of foreign affairs of Serbia, Ivica Dacic, reports the German state radio and adds that Belgrade is trying to balance for years.

Foto: Tanjug/Rade Prelić

The candidacy for EU membership is not going fast enough, marks Deutsche Welle, and adds at the same time that special relations are being nurtured with old historical friend Russia.

So there is a "Serbian-Russian humanitarian center" in the second largest city in Serbia, which Washington thinks it is a center for espionage, and there are negotiations with Moscow now to acquire six used planes MIG-29, tanks, and missile defense systems, writes DW.

Foto: Tanjug/Vlada Srbije

During this time, the US insists on energy supply - they are demanding that Croatia finally builds a planned terminal for liquefied gas on the island of Krk, in the northern part of the Adriatic.

According to Deutsche Welle, it would be filled by American tankers and it should be connected to the similar station in the Polish Świnoujście, and South East Europe would become more independent from the Russian gas.

The initiative of three seas has been started last year, launched by Croatia and Poland (Baltic, Adriatic, Black Sea) - 12 countries of central, eastern and southeastern Europe want the stronger support of US to intensify their defense against Moscow, German radio reports.

Foto: Tanjug/AP

China has built roads and bridges within the "New Silk Road" over the past few years, provided loans and modernized nuclear power plants, and Turkish President Rexhep Tayyip Erdogan is due to visit next month.

"Deutsche Welle" reports that Turkey traditionally has good relations with Muslims in Bosnia and Herzegovina, and they have intensified and more generously helped to restore mosques destroyed during the war.

The struggle for influence in the Balkans is further stirring up the media, DW said, pointing out that the Russian agency Sputnik is working with the program in the Serbian language, thus strengthening Russia's view of the world, while the US company KKR, which already belongs to the leading television in the region, just bought TV Nova in Croatia and POP TV in Slovenia - favorite TV stations.

"Deutsche Welle" also says that the Turkish news agency Anadolija is particularly strong in Bosnia, as well as the television and portal "Al Jazeera Balkans" from Qatar in their native languages.

(Telegraf.co.uk / DW)