GOP congressman worries: Russia might move in the Balkans

Russia might take advantage of instability in Macedonia to recover some of the Balkan territory lost following the collapse of the Soviet Union, according to a Republican lawmaker.

"At the very least you can imagine them playing a provocative role," Rep. Peter Roskam, R-Ill., told the Washington Examiner.

The small Balkan country is going through a political crisis, born of ethnic and political rivalries, that has made it the scene of new contretemps between Russia and western powers. The United States and the European Union support a political process that would have the effect of elevating a western-leaning government to power in Macedonia, while Russia is siding with the embattled incumbent president's party. And so, although Macedonia hardly dominates American political debates, U.S. leaders are starting to wonder if it could become the next flashpoint with Russia in Europe.

"Outside interference in the internal affairs of the Republic of Macedonia is taking more and more outrageous forms," the Russian Foreign Ministry said Friday. "Despite all the manipulations, the opposition, openly supported by the European Union and the United States, had to face a defeat."

The crisis developed after a corruption scandal forced a new round of parliamentary elections in December of last year, but no political party won a majority of seats. So the second-place party cut a deal with the Albanian ethnic minority party to form a majority in exchange for giving the Albanian language official status in Macedonia. President Gjorge Ivanov, whose party won a 51-49 majority over the leading opposition party, responded by refusing to allow the new Macedonian-Albanian coalition to form a government.