The former member of the European Parliament Doris Pack said that some European countries are making Bosnia chose between the EU or Russia, saying that it is a bit silly to think that there is a choice between the EU and Russia.

“There shouldn’t be a choice between the EU and Russia. If one looks at the map, one will see where Russia is and one can see that Bosnia is surrounded by the EU member states. It would be silly to think that there is a choice between the EU and Russia,” said Pack.

She added that some are maybe dreaming of that choice, but that the politicians, as well as the Bosnian public, are aware that there is no choice.

According to Pack, no one is asking anyone to be against Russia or to have good relations with Russia, however, if Russia decides to act the way it did in the past and if the EU introduces sanctions against Russia because of that behaviour, then Bosnia should join those sanctions because it wants to join the EU.

“I keep repeating myself. Russia is using the Balkans, especially Bosnia and Macedonia as puppets in order to create problems for us in the EU,” Pack said, adding that Russia is doing this because Macedonia is thinking about joining the NATO and that there are talks of NATO in Bosnia.

“Only Serbia remains, but Serbia has its own interests in creating a balance between the Russian and the EU interests,” Pack concluded.

When asked to comment on the fact that Republika Srpska (RS) entity President Milorad Dodik is against NATO as is the public in RS, Pack said that she does not take such claims seriously and that she sees the entire country, including RS, in the EU.

“Dodik is Dodik and he is playing a game. He supports the EU if it suits him, if not if he wants to make trouble, he then tries to negotiate and to play the game with the Russians,” Pack added.