{"id":39227,"date":"2019-02-08T18:55:42","date_gmt":"2019-02-08T18:55:42","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/defensenews\/uncategorized\/2019\/02\/08\/heres-how-russia-could-still-sabotage-macedonias-plans-to-join-nato\/"},"modified":"2026-08-07T23:03:59","modified_gmt":"2026-08-07T23:03:59","slug":"heres-how-russia-could-still-sabotage-macedonias-plans-to-join-nato","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/defensenews\/global\/europe\/2019\/02\/08\/heres-how-russia-could-still-sabotage-macedonias-plans-to-join-nato\/","title":{"rendered":"Here\u2019s how Russia could still sabotage Macedonia\u2019s plans to join NATO"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

WASHINGTON \u2014 The newly christened North Macedonia is pushing for allied nations to vote on its ascension to NATO<\/a> as quickly as six months from now, as leadership seeks to finish that agreement before Russia can find ways to scuttle it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Speaking to reporters in Washington, Bujar Osmani, Macedonia\u2019s deputy prime minister in charge of European affairs, warned that \u201cevery single day more left to the process gives a day more for those who want to hijack the process and those adversaries that would like to compromise\u201d Macedonia\u2019s plans to join NATO.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI think we got the last train. This region of the world, geopolitically, is becoming very dynamic, and I think it was the last [chance] for us to define the geopolitics in the region, that this region belongs to NATO, belongs the Euro-Atlantic family of countries,\u201d Osmani said. \u201cWe should not consider the process over until it is over, and we should put it on the fast-track procedure so the ratification should be finalized as soon as possible.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\t