Garčević Discusses Russian Invasion of Ukraine on Al Jazeera Balkans

Between February 26 and 28, 2022, Ambassador Vesko Garčević, Professor of the Practice of International Relations at the Frederick S. Pardee School of Global Studies at Boston University, appeared on Al Jazeera Balkans to discuss the Russian invasion in Ukraine, the meeting of the Russian and Ukrainian delegation near the Belarusian border, economic sanctions imposed on Russia, Moscow’s relation with NATO/West, a possibility for the conflict to spill over beyond the Ukrainian borders, and how the war can reflect on the situation in the Balkans.

In his remarks, Garčević said that the Russian invasion of Ukraine marks a turning point for the European security architecture for several reasons. For one, Germany decided to supply the Ukrainian government with anti-tank and anti-aircraft missile systems, a significant shift from its longstanding policy not to send weapons to conflict zones. Additionally, the European Union decided to impose a set of severe sanctions that will target individuals from the inner circle in the Kremlin, displaying a level of EU member unity many didn’t expect.

Garčević also commented on the resistance of Ukrainians. He shared comments of several military experts that Russia didn’t achieve the objective to quickly seize the major cities in Ukraine.
According to Garčević, the war in Ukraine may have negative repercussions on the situation in the Balkans as some local politicians look at Moscow as a role model for their regional ambitions.

Garčević’s Al Jazeera Balkans appearances can be viewed below.

During his diplomatic career, Ambassador Vesko Garčević dealt with issues pertinent to European security and NATO for almost 14 years. In 2004, he was posted in Vienna to serve as Ambassador to Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe. He had been a Montenegro’s Ambassador to NATO from 2010 until 2014 and served as Montenegro’s National Coordinator for NATO from 2015 until he joined the faculty at the Pardee School. Learn more about Ambassador Garčević on his faculty profile.