Defense Secretary Jim Mattis arrived in Macedonia Monday, condemning Russian efforts to use its money and influence to build opposition to an upcoming vote that could pave the way for the country to join NATO a move Moscow opposes.
Mattis told reporters travelling with him to Skopje that there is "no doubt" that Moscow has been funding pro-Russian groups in order to defeat the referendum on a name change later this month.
"They have transferred money and they're also conducting broader influence campaigns," Mattis said.
"We ought to leave the Macedonian people to make up their own minds."
We're not passing money to people behind the scenes, we're not putting together parties that we control or try to control."
Russia, she said, is "swooping in now with disinformation and other forms of malign influence to try to change the minds of the Macedonian people."
"He can tell them this is their last chance."
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