Juncker warns Trump new Balkan war could erupt if US President urges break up of EU
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In an interview to Financial Times European Commission President
Jean Claude Juncker warned US President Donald Trump to refrained from
urging more EU member-states to leave the EU. In particular, Mr. Juncker
said that if countries like Albania, FYROM and Bosnia-Herzegovina were
prevented from joining the union, this could lead to a Balkan war while
outlining the role of the EU as a cohesive force for promoting peace and
stability in the region after the end of the civil conflict in the
former Yugoslavia in the 1990’s. He underlined that the contribution of
the EU was valuable, as it offered a prospect for the Balkan states. Mr.
Juncker said he had sent the message to the US President via
Vice-President Mike Pence during the latter’s visit to Brussels in
February. “I told him [Pence] to not encourage more countries to leave,
because if the EU collapsed, there would be a new war in the western
Balkans”, Mr. Juncker said.
