US accuses Russia, Zaev says there's no evidence

The referendum should decide whether Macedonians accept the change of their country's name - a deal Skopje has reached with Athens.

"I do not have proof of any Russian influence here. the Russian Federation is a friend of Macedonia, and Russia has nothing against Macedonia's integration into the EU, but it is against our integration into NATO, and they say it very clearly," Prime Minister Zaev said at the "EU-Western Balkans: Media Days" event.

The government, he said, is trying to explain that there is no alternative for Macedonia except for full integration into the EU and NATO.

US Secretary of Defense James Mattis, who arrived in Skopje on Monday, said on the eve of his arrival that "there is no doubt" that "Moscow has financed pro-Russian groups" to make sure that the referendum, to be held this month, fails.

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