Russian President Vladimir Putin has blamed Western countries for destabilising the Balkans.

Ahead of a visit to Belgrade, Vladimir Putin in an interview published on the Kremlin website said that a serious destabilising factor in Balkans is the policy of the US and some other Western countries aimed at securing their dominance in the region. President Putin ,however ,accused the West of pressuring Macedonia and Montenegro, a new NATO candidate, against the will of their people.

He said NATO expansion efforts are drawing new dividing lines on the European continent.