Former US Army Europe Commander Ben Hodges spoke to N1 Wednesday and analyzed the NATO summit in Madrid, the appointment of a new NATO Supreme Commander who succeeded him as US Army Europe Commander, the joining of Finland and Sweden, the possible Russian destabilization of BiH and the region and analyzed where the war in Ukraine stands almost five months after it began.

“There is no doubt that the Kremlin has no interest in stability and security in the Balkan region. It is their advantage to continue to incite unrest, to incite the historical frictions that exist, to put pressure on all parties involved in the Balkans so that they can’t make decisions on their own allowing for greater integration of the West. That is the last thing the Kremlin wants. Therefore, they will certainly look for ways to maintain pressure on the authorities in BiH, Kosovo, Serbia and others in the region to destabilize them so that they can’t align or integrate with the West”, Hodges said.

Play the interview above to hear what else he had to say to N1.