This opinion was expressed in a comment to Ukrinform by Dzhabir Deralla, a Macedonian civic activist, journalist, and co-founder of the NGO CIVIL Today (Center for Civil Freedom in Skopje).

Deralla explained that Serbia's political and propaganda apparatus has long exploited divisions within Macedonian society, including ethnic tensions. According to him, it presents the Serbian people, state, and political leaders as defenders of Orthodox, Slavic Macedonia, protecting it from Bulgarians abroad and Albanians at home.

"So, that was ongoing for decades. And that's how the Russian propaganda machinery is needed to influence the Macedonian population. They just use the Serbian narratives. The ground was prepared," Deralla said.

According to him, these narratives claim that Bulgarians threaten Macedonian identity, that Albanians – who make up around 25% of North Macedonia's population – pose an internal threat, and that Greece seeks to erase Macedonian identity.

"So, who is the savior? It's Serbia and ‘mother Russia’. So, that's it. I think it's very easy to understand actually," the media expert concluded.

Deralla stressed that he and his colleagues work every day to reach audiences who understand that Ukraine is the victim of Vladimir Putin's brutal, genocidal war, even though many influential media outlets continue to repeat Russian narratives or maintain a neutral stance.

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As reported by Ukrinform, in 2025 Zoran Dimitrovski, North Macedonia's Minister of Foreign Affairs and Foreign Trade, warned that Russia could exploit unresolved conflicts in the Balkans to provoke new crises and destabilize the region through proxy forces despite NATO's presence.

Photo: Pavlo Bahmut