Macedonia, as a long time candidate country for EU membership, follows the EU’s policy, and their decisions made by consensus at the EU level. However, even at the EU level there are numerous member countries who often disagree and do not follow dictates by Brussels.
Since the decisions to expel Russian diplomats do not represent an expression of harmonized views of all EU member states, but it is about individual decisions of individual member states, the President of the Republic of Macedonia believes that the decision of the Macedonian MFA is hasty, wrong and rushed.
The President of Macedonia calls for restraint from hasty steps in foreign policy, in order to prevent possible damage to the achievements of the strategic goals of the Republic of Macedonia.
How was the Russian diplomat kicked out? Cowardly of course, this is Macedonia. While the Russian Ambassador was opening an Art exhibit in Ohrid, MoFA boss and quisling Nikola Dimitrov saw an opening to kick out the Russian diplomat.
Although Macedonia is just a drop of water in the ocean of world politics and has no close ties with neither the UK (whom the junta government expressed solidarity), the same applies to Russia with no deep ties either. But leave it to Macedonia to create a problem with major powers, in this case Russia. Do you remember the recognition of Taiwan (greatly angering China) by the amateurish Government led by Tupurkovski which immediately resulted in removing of UN guards from the Kosovo border which then lead to NATO inspired aggression from Kosovo?
As Lavrov put it eloquently today: The Skripal case showed us which nations in Europe are independent from NATO and the US, and which are not. So far Austria, Slovenia Hungary and Portugal are holding quite strong. Slovenia continues their tradition since Yugoslavia times of not taking orders from anyone. The best reaction by far came from New Zealand with their Prime Minister claiming “We really want to expel someone, but the Russians just don’t have spies here”. God bless the Kiwis.
