The American General in Europe, Curtis Scaparrotti, warned that the Balkan region is facing a growing Russian pressure and that Washington and NATO must do more to keep the region away from destabilization.
Scaparrotti told the Senate Committee today that the United States did not create an effective response to Russia's cyber threats. The general who leads the US military forces in Europe and the commands of NATO forces, was asked by lawmakers at the Senate Committee on Armed Services, if there are regions in Europe facing the Russian threat."The area I'm worried today is the Balkans." he said.
"Russia is working in the Balkans and we have so far removed our eyes from that area."
"This is a region where we can have a problem in the future," he said.
Scaparrot is also questioned how the US is responding to the cybernetic activity of Russia, for which US intelligence said that has increased significantly in recent years.
"I do not believe there was any effective response," he told to the senators. State-based hackers are allegedly involved in the attacks in Ukraine and US officials have charged several Russian agencies for intervention in the US presidential campaign and election system in recent years. Russian officials have dismissed the allegations.