For the 16th day, the Russian invasion of Ukraine continues, with Vladimir Putin showing no will to stop until he achieves his goals. And while Russia has repeatedly made known its demands to stop the invasion immediately, no one can guarantee that even if these are achieved, the war will stop.
Experienced analysts have predicted from the very first day of the invasion that now that the Russian president has begun his imposition, it is unlikely to stop in Ukraine.
So the question on the lips of the whole world - and especially in some European countries is this: who is next?
Who is next?
As AP explains, from the beginning Vladimir Putin has stated that this invasion is not just about Ukraine, but about the eastern side of NATO and the rest of Eastern Europe.
Western officials say the most vulnerable countries are those that are not members of either NATO or the European Union, such as Moldova, Georgia, Bosnia and Kosovo.
Even NATO members, such as Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania and Montenegro, could be at risk from either direct military intervention by Russia or political destabilization efforts.
Moldova
Like its neighbour Ukraine, the former Soviet republic of Moldova also has a problem with separatists in its east, in the disputed region of Transnistria, where 1.Although Moldova is militarily neutral and has no plans to join NATO, it made a formal request to join the European Union when the Russian invasion began.
There are fears that Putin will try to link the separatists east of the Dniester River to Ukraine through the strategic port of Odessa.
Georgia[/B][BR][/B][BR][/B] As the AP reports, this is one of Moscow's traditional enemies. During the 2008 war, when the Georgian government unsuccessfully tried to retake the breakaway province of South Ossetia, it resulted in its sweeping defeat by Russia in just five days.
Subsequently, in addition to Ossetia, Russia recognized the Abkhazian region as autonomous and increased its military presence there.
However, although the Georgian government condemned the Russian invasion of Ukraine, it did not return hundreds of volunteers to cross the border to go fight for Kiev.
And Georgia applied for membership of the European Union, although it said it did not want to be fast-tracked for fear of another Russian invasion.
The Baltic countries[/B]
Memories of the Soviet Union still remain vivid in Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia. The three Baltic countries joined NATO in 2004.
Immediately after the invasion of Ukrenia, NATO quickly increased its troop presence among its allies in Eastern Europe, while Washington pledged more support.
Now, these three countries are pushing NATO to show its strength not only with words, but also with actions.
The Balkans[/B][BR][/B] It is difficult enough for Russian troops to reach the Balkans without facing NATO forces deployed throughout the region. However, Moscow could destabilize the region with the help of Serbia, one of its traditional allies.
The Kremlin has always considered the Balkans part of its sphere of influence, although it was never part of the Soviet Union.
There are fears in the West that Serbia's pro-Russian government, which is not party to the sanctions against Moscow, could destabilize its neighbors, especially Bosnia, while attention is focused on Ukraine.
Serbian authorities have repeatedly denied that they are involved in the internal affairs of their neighbours, but the fact is that there is a strong minority of Serbs in Bosnia who would like to see their regions secede.
The Russian embassy in Sarajevo warned last year that if Bosnia tries to join NATO, "our country will have to react to this hostile act."
For its part, Kosovo has asked the US to set up a military base in the country and speed up its NATO membership in the immediate aftermath of the Russian invasion of Ukraine. Serbia has announced that this move is unacceptable.
Finally, Montenegro - a former ally of Russia that "betrayed" it by joining NATO in 2017 - has imposed sanctions on Moscow and looks set to be the next Western Balkan country to join the European Union.
The country is divided between those who are pro-Western and those who side with Serbia and Russia.
Moscow had expressed its displeasure with Montenegro's NATO membership.
Source: in.gr
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