This is John Batchtra, a conversation with colleague Ivana Stradner, of the Foundation for Defense

of Democracies, about the Western Balkans, and a looming crisis in Bosnia-Herzegovina.

The solution, 30 years ago, the solution temporarily understood for the rivalries in the breakup of Yugoslavia between the Serbs and

the Croats, between the Muslims and the Christians, between one border and another

Montenegro, Serbia, Bosnia, Herzegovina, Croatia, all tangled in the Western Balkans.

And here, Ivana not only despairs of the present conditions that are a crisis,

but also how, though it is complicated, though it is available for new solutions,

not just temporary ones from the late 20th century, no one is taking it on in

her measure. Here's Ivana, and there's much more of this later tonight. I think the EU

fears escalations. Even our intelligence warned of potential chaos in the region, specifically in Bosnia and Herzegovina

and the EU, but I also have to admit also Washington, D.C. Both have been trying to appease Dardix

so he does not escalate. And we know very well how it ended in Ukraine when the West was trying to appease Putin.

So I think it's putting a band-aid on a wound.

That's what the West has been trying to do.

And just as you mentioned, it's very complex.

And unfortunately, John, we live in very strange times when people do not have energy to focus on anything that is complex.

So that's why people would rather sweep it under the rug.

And that's exactly what I see that is happening right now in the Balkans.