Moscow, February 18, 1994

Last dramatic events in Bosnia-Hertsegovina and NATO and UN decisions that followed them led attitude of greater part of the world to Russia to unprecedented last years level of tension. The decision on ultimatum to Serbian militarists that are sieging Sarajevo already for two years have invoked discussions in press and in political world.

Politicians, journalists and public leaders in Russia have mainly taken side of Serbians. That positions is usually motivated by religious and cultural kindred and historical traditions, but many important things that should be considered to clear the situation are not taken under consideration.

Such position is too natural remembering that it comes from conjuncture interests of inner policy kind, but its motivation by vivid necessity for Russia to play that queer role at the world scene is obviously absurd. Russian democrats, pro-Serbian position may have two motivations: either those are taking side of elections winners, communist and nationalistic forces, or that category of politicians do not want to make the situation clear to them.

That is the reason why we want to turn public opinion's attention to some things that, as we can judge by last publications, are forgotten or at least underestimated.

The situation in Russia an in so called 'near foreigning' is more common to the situation in Serbia and ex-Yugoslavia than they think it is. Serbians an Russians have been a kind of ruling peoples in SFRY and USSR appropriately. Though Yugoslavia was nearer to real federation than USSR, for example, the Presidium of Yugoslavia was headed by representatives of all republics of Yugoslavia in turn, but the military generalitet the supreme officer corpus consisted of Serbians exclusively. Just what Yugoslav People's Army generals made the coup d'etat in 1991 and dismissed the Yugoslavian Presidium and begum war against Slovenia and Croatia that aspired to independence. The base of their deeds was the idea of the Great Serbia that was so militarily laconically formulated by general Mladic: "Serbia stretches to all places where Serbian orthodox churches stand." The same ideology lies in base of deeds of Russian nationalists who rush to cutting out new independent countries of ex-USSR again. The same ideology lies

in base of diplomatic declarations on vivid interests' sphere for Russia that envelopes all countries of 'near foreigning'.

We must call things by their right names. We must have courage to admit that not the fight between two armies is taking place in Bosnia and Hercegovina, but an aggression of armed to the teeth army against the defenseless country (exactly the country, not the "Moslem community", the country that has representatives of different nationalities and religions including Serbians in its democratically elected government). UN has declared embargo on delivery of weapons to Bosnia and Hercegovina, but it is well-known that Serbians do use uncontrollably weapons of the Yugoslavian People's Army, that was one of the largest armies in Europe and was not inferior to Bundeswehr. Violating embargo Bosnians also get some weapons, but they do it in the face of overwhelming strength of Serbians. The Moslem world intends not to be inert looking at that genocide, victims of which no doubt are mainly Moslems. Consequences may be uncontrollable, especially in Balkans.

In Sarajevo, the multinational city, where for ages a mosque, a orthodox church and a catholic church were neighbors, not the civil war between Croats, Serbians and Moslems is taking place, but the Serbian aggression, victims of which were also thousands of Bosnian Serbians.

We consider it appropriate to turn attention to the essence of the NATO ultimatum. It deals with possibility of aircraft bombing of Serbian artillery positions around Sarajevo that are shelling the city. The result of last shelling has made the whole world shudder: more than 60 men killed, hundreds of wounded -- old men, women -- who have sold and bought goods at the Sarajevo market. Mentioned aircraft bombardment may be carried out in case of cannons would not be removed from 20 kilometers' zone before February 21. Many publications and speeches in Russia nearly mean that NATO has declared war to Serbian people.

The Belgrade policy that is carried out by authorized nationalistic government has involved Serbian people into the confrontation with all ex-Yugoslavian peoples. The negation of human, civil and political rights of Albanians in Kossovo, the armed aggression against Slovenia and then against Croatia and Bosnia. That is a war that is in the first place against unarmed population, a war that has made ethnic polishing, genocide and deportation usual.

No doubt, the whole responsibility can not be put on Serbians only. Moslems and Croatians in the first place become more and more mixed up with the same crimes. Definite persons who are guilty in concrete war crimes irrespective of their nationalities have to be judged at the International Court. That is the aim of the international campaign that is carried out by the Transnational Radical party. However that fact must not prevent us of realizing the ultimate difference between the aggressor and the victim of aggression. From the very beginning of the war in 1991 none of rifle shots could be heard on the territory of Serbia or of Montenegro, while thousands and thousands of people were killed by Serbian military forces in Croatia and Bosnia.

We can not reconcile with the fact that Russian democratic forces, Russian press and Russian public opinion consciously or unconsciously take side of those who, using armed violence, genocide and murders of defenseless people, rushes for nationalistic and fascist utopia.

Julia KALININA, member of the Radical Party; Nikolaj KHRAMOV, member of the General Council of the Radical Party; Andrea TAMBURI, member of the Secretary Board of the Radical Party; Mamuka TSAGARELI, vice chairman of the General Council of the Radical Party.