Russia has threatened to use its right to veto in order to block Macedonia’s change of name (which was agreed with Greece) after the Macedonian referendum on the agreement has failed due to low turnout.
“Macedonian voters chose to boycott the decision” and Russia “as a permanent member of the UN Security Council monitors the developments,” said the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs. The aim of the deal is for Macedonia to join NATO next year, something that Moscow would not approve.
The Western leaders have already expressed their support for the agreement, but Moscow suggested that it might impose a veto in the UN Security Council. Russia points out that turnout has made the result invalid, adding that the conclusions of the Athens and Skopje talks can eventually be discussed in the UN Security Council.
NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg described the situation as a “historic opportunity”, but stressed that the only way for the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia to join the Alliance is by adopting the new name.
Zoran Zaev himself must attract a further 11 votes to gather a total of 80 in order to change the constitution and prepare the way for the country’s accession to NATO and the European Union. According to some observers, the reasons for the referendum results in Macedonia are based on two issues: the treaty with Greece, and the accession in NATO and the EU.
If the agreement with Greece is not approved, Macedonia has no chance of entering NATO and the EU, however, the government representatives in Skopje are saying that the wording of the referendum issue is not only technically correct, but also with a huge momentum. But the political opposition to the deal remains strong.
The deal continues to create disputes in Greece, including among the coalition partners of Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras.
So days after the referendum, which could solve everything, the prospects and even the future of Macedonia seem to be less clear than ever. It is obvious that some serious transformations should take place in Skopje, because otherwise the deal with Greece will fail, and the membership in the EU and NATO will be postponed for the distant future.
