Russian Amb: My statement on BiH’s NATO path was not a threat, rather a warning

Russia's Ambassador in Bosnia and Herzegovina, Igor Kalabukhov, tried to clarify his earlier statements on BiH’s potential NATO membership in an interview he gave Face TV on Friday, explaining that what he said should not be taken as a threat, but rather as a “warning.”

“We are not against the sovereignty and territorial integrity of BiH, and President (Vladimir) Putin has said that several times,” he said, adding that BiH will be the one to decide on the matter.

“But that decision must be responsible,” the Russian ambassador said.

Kalabukhov recently told the public broadcaster in Bosnia’s Federation (FBiH) entity, FTV, that BiH’s decisions on becoming a member of any alliance are an internal matter.

However, he said that Russia’s response to this is “a different matter.”

“Ukraine's example shows what we expect. Should there be any threat, we will respond,” Kalabukhov told FTV.

Many BiH officials, including the Chairman of BiH’s tripartite Presidency, took these statements as a threat.

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However, Kalabukhov told Face TV that his words should not be interpreted that way.

“It may be a warning, but it is not a threat,” he said on Friday.

The ambassador went on to question the motives for joining NATO, arguing that the only reason he often hears local politicians talk about is internal security.

“And does NATO do that? No,” he stressed, arguing that the best safeguard of internal security is an agreement within BiH and that NATO “has nothing to do with it.”

“The choice is yours, but you have to agree on it yourself,” he said.

“Imagine BiH becoming a member of NATO and Brussels deciding to deploy nuclear missiles aimed at Moscow in BiH? What should Russia do? That is why I said that we must assess the situation (if BiH becomes a member of NATO),” he explained.

The Russian ambassador also commented on a statement of Bosnia’s Defence Minister, Sifet Podzic, who argued that Kalabukhov should be declared persona non grata in BiH because of his statements.

When asked whether he would leave the country should this indeed happen, Kalabukhov said “no.”

“Of course, I don't want to leave, there is a procedure. I don’t believe that will happen. If people would carefully examine what I am doing, it would not be possible,” he said.