These leaders missed the opportunity presented by the civil war that led to the disintegration of Yugoslavia in the early '90s, and have seized their chance this time around. I recall clearly that, shortly before the signing of the Dayton Accord, American and European officials predicted that Kosovo's turn would be next. A look at the new map of Europe drives home the causes for its leaders' anxiety. The searing breach in the Balkans is sufficient to undermine any claims that NATO has secured control over Europe from the Atlantic to Russia's easternmost borders. In other words, the Balkans are a live volcano whose every eruption threatens the peace and stability of an entire continent.
Some European commentators give stronger emphasis to the historical dimension.
Although the West wrangled over and ultimately managed to divvy up Ottoman spoils in Europe, it failed to address the problems of ethnic and religious sectarianism that frequently plagued the Sultanate at the height of its power. Thus, in Europe today, Protestants from Western and Central Europe, led by the US and supported by the Catholics, are waging a war against a stronghold of Slavic orthodoxy. This war has galvanised the otherwise weak and disparate Slavic orthodox forces, which have put aside national and ethnic differences to fight off the encroaching Protestant-led alliance. Europe today is reminiscent of the early Middle Ages, split between the western and eastern Roman empires. South of a Europe revisited by Christian divisions, furthermore, the Islamic encroachment is taking place.