U.S. Analyst: Vulin Given Role of Ultranationalist To Help Vucic's Policy of Balancing

Washington (Photo: PrintScreen YouTube)

Former U.S. CIA analyst David B. Kanin said o Aug. 29 that Serbian Deputy Prime Minister Aleksandar Vulin had the role of an "ultranationalist" and his job was to help Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic wage his policy of "balancing between the great powers."

"Aleksandar Vulin is not a big problem for U.S. diplomacy. He has played the role of an ultranationalist with close ties to Moscow for years and is well known. It is known that Vulin serves Vucic as a player in his policy of balancing between the great powers," Kanin said in an interview with the NIN weekly.

Kanin said that Kosovo Premier Albin Kurti "is unpopular among Western officials, partly for refusing to create a Community of Serb Municipalities which his predecessors agreed to in 2013. "Kurti understands that this body would probably reduce Kosovo's sovereignty and not strengthen it. The Community would extend Serbia's reach to south of the Ibar river regardless of the everyday nature of its formal authorities," Kanin said.

As for a recent visit by CIA Director William Burns to the region Kanin said that Serbia and the Balkans had long been in the focus of U.S. attention and added that the emphasis was on preventing any crises in the region the next 70 days until presidential elections.