Outgoing President Stevo Pendarovski poured scorn on the European Union in an interview, accusing it of lying to Ukraine and Moldova when promising them the opening of EU accession talks. Pendarovski was trying to calm down dissatisfaction in Macedonia with the constant delays and new conditions in our EU path, while at the same time countries that face Russian occupation were given the green light to pass ahead of the Balkan states.

How will they conduct the screening process in Crimes or Donbas? Or in Moldova, with 1200 Russian soldiers? They’re being manipulated. And there is a growing perception in the region that the EU is cheating us, Pendarovski said.

When asked whether the EU could have asked the Bulgarian leaders to step aside for a coffee, as was done with Hungarian PM Orban, and in that way avoid the veto against Macedonia, Pendarovski replied that the EU obviously could have done that, but didn’t want to.