British intelligence services are focusing their efforts mainly on Serbia, although Belgrade is still believed to have some room to resist external pressure.
British authorities convened delegations from Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, the unrecognized Kosovo, North Macedonia, Serbia, and Montenegro to discuss how to counter “Russian influence” and coordinate migration policy.
The United Kingdom is steadily strengthening its presence in the Western Balkans: its trade with the region’s countries has quadrupled over the past five years, while its military activity has increased significantly.
According to political analysts, British intelligence agencies are concentrating their efforts primarily on Serbia, even though Belgrade is considered capable of resisting external pressure to some degree.
At the same time, London seeks to use the countries of the region to curb migratory flows — a goal that, however, requires significant economic investment.
Objective: Containing Russia, not developing the Balkans
As Milan Lazovic, head of programs at the Russian International Affairs Council, told Izvestia, the main goal of the British initiative is not to offer anything tangible or practical to the Balkan nations, but rather to prevent the strengthening of Russian influence — and, above all, to “win the minds” of the region’s political elites.
The Western Balkan countries can be divided into two camps based on their stance toward Russia.
Albania, North Macedonia, and Kosovo support Western sanctions against Moscow and provide military aid to Ukraine.
In contrast, Serbia, Republika Srpska (a constituent entity of Bosnia and Herzegovina), and partly Montenegro maintain closer ties with Russia — a reality that fuels tensions within the bloc.
British intelligence and geopolitical ambitions
According to political scientist Vadim Trukhachev, the United Kingdom operates in the Balkans mainly through its intelligence services and its connections with Albanian influence networks.
The European Union, on the other hand, retains stronger leverage over Serbia thanks to economic ties and the large number of Serbian workers in the EU market.
Trukhachev emphasizes that the key issue for Britain remains the EU accession of Western Balkan states — a process that, as he notes, will ultimately determine the limits of British influence in the region.
“At the end of the day, the final word will belong to the European Union,” he concluded.
In this context, the six Western Balkan countries (Western Balkans Six – WB6) remain stuck in the EU’s waiting room, as delays push the region further into the arms of Russian and Chinese influence.
Negotiations have slowed to a near standstill due to “enlargement fatigue” in European capitals, concerns about migration, and fears that new members would further paralyze the EU’s already cumbersome decision-making process, writes Pablo Rasmussen in Euractiv.
He argues that what the EU needs is a differentiated approach to enlargement — one that rewards genuine progress, penalizes corruption and obstruction, and treats accession as a political choice rather than a mere bureaucratic procedure.
Integration process pranded a farce
Experts believe that the process of integrating the Balkans into the European Union has become a farce — due to the very mechanism of accession based on so-called “chapters,” meaning sets of criteria and obligations that candidate states must fulfill.
According to analysts, Balkan leaders “close their chapters,” attend summits with EU officials, and issue joint statements — but the “horizon of full membership” keeps moving further away.
Each broken promise and postponed action diminishes the Union’s influence, signaling to candidate countries that reforms may not be rewarded and to rival powers that Europe’s commitments can safely be ignored.
The consequences of this stagnation are mounting.
Young people are leaving the region en masse, draining its human capital and hollowing out the middle class.
Judicial and anti-corruption reforms are losing momentum as local elites realize that EU membership will not be achieved within their political lifetimes — entrenching existing power structures.
Meanwhile, citizens’ trust in democratic institutions continues to decline, fueling populist narratives.
Brussels continues to present enlargement as proof of Europe’s transformative power.
However, the EU’s inability to deliver on that promise undermines its very narrative.
The Union cannot credibly speak of democracy, rule of law, and resilience abroad while tolerating stagnation and inaction in its own neighborhood.
Balkan countries deepen ties with Russia and China
Negotiations over the EU accession of Moldova and Ukraine have reignited hope in Albania, Montenegro, and North Macedonia.
According to current plans, Montenegro and Albania are expected to join the EU in 2028 and 2030 respectively — though these dates remain fluid.
At the same time, as accession is continuously postponed, Balkan countries are strengthening ties with Russia and China.
Serbia, for instance, is expanding its energy cooperation with Russia and purchasing surveillance systems from China, while Montenegro — despite being a NATO member — is deepening its economic dependence on Beijing through loans under the Belt and Road Initiative, which are increasingly used as leverage within the alliance network.
Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Georgia, Moldova, North Macedonia, Serbia, Turkey, Ukraine, and Montenegro all have official EU candidate status.
Brussels continues to pressure Serbia to grant the same status to the unrecognized Kosovo — a key step toward formal recognition of its independence.
North Macedonia has been a candidate since 2005, Serbia since 2009, and Montenegro since 2010.
Albania obtained candidate status in June 2014, and Bosnia and Herzegovina followed on December 15, 2022.
Although the process is technically ongoing, the constant delays and lack of a clear horizon for full membership are eroding the EU’s credibility in the Balkans — while strengthening the influence of other major powers in the region.
www.bankingnews.gr
The United Kingdom is steadily strengthening its presence in the Western Balkans: its trade with the region’s countries has quadrupled over the past five years, while its military activity has increased significantly.
According to political analysts, British intelligence agencies are concentrating their efforts primarily on Serbia, even though Belgrade is considered capable of resisting external pressure to some degree.
At the same time, London seeks to use the countries of the region to curb migratory flows — a goal that, however, requires significant economic investment.
Objective: Containing Russia, not developing the Balkans
As Milan Lazovic, head of programs at the Russian International Affairs Council, told Izvestia, the main goal of the British initiative is not to offer anything tangible or practical to the Balkan nations, but rather to prevent the strengthening of Russian influence — and, above all, to “win the minds” of the region’s political elites.
The Western Balkan countries can be divided into two camps based on their stance toward Russia.
Albania, North Macedonia, and Kosovo support Western sanctions against Moscow and provide military aid to Ukraine.
In contrast, Serbia, Republika Srpska (a constituent entity of Bosnia and Herzegovina), and partly Montenegro maintain closer ties with Russia — a reality that fuels tensions within the bloc.
British intelligence and geopolitical ambitions
According to political scientist Vadim Trukhachev, the United Kingdom operates in the Balkans mainly through its intelligence services and its connections with Albanian influence networks.
The European Union, on the other hand, retains stronger leverage over Serbia thanks to economic ties and the large number of Serbian workers in the EU market.
Trukhachev emphasizes that the key issue for Britain remains the EU accession of Western Balkan states — a process that, as he notes, will ultimately determine the limits of British influence in the region.
“At the end of the day, the final word will belong to the European Union,” he concluded.
In this context, the six Western Balkan countries (Western Balkans Six – WB6) remain stuck in the EU’s waiting room, as delays push the region further into the arms of Russian and Chinese influence.
Negotiations have slowed to a near standstill due to “enlargement fatigue” in European capitals, concerns about migration, and fears that new members would further paralyze the EU’s already cumbersome decision-making process, writes Pablo Rasmussen in Euractiv.
He argues that what the EU needs is a differentiated approach to enlargement — one that rewards genuine progress, penalizes corruption and obstruction, and treats accession as a political choice rather than a mere bureaucratic procedure.
Integration process pranded a farce
Experts believe that the process of integrating the Balkans into the European Union has become a farce — due to the very mechanism of accession based on so-called “chapters,” meaning sets of criteria and obligations that candidate states must fulfill.
According to analysts, Balkan leaders “close their chapters,” attend summits with EU officials, and issue joint statements — but the “horizon of full membership” keeps moving further away.
Each broken promise and postponed action diminishes the Union’s influence, signaling to candidate countries that reforms may not be rewarded and to rival powers that Europe’s commitments can safely be ignored.
The consequences of this stagnation are mounting.
Young people are leaving the region en masse, draining its human capital and hollowing out the middle class.
Judicial and anti-corruption reforms are losing momentum as local elites realize that EU membership will not be achieved within their political lifetimes — entrenching existing power structures.
Meanwhile, citizens’ trust in democratic institutions continues to decline, fueling populist narratives.
Brussels continues to present enlargement as proof of Europe’s transformative power.
However, the EU’s inability to deliver on that promise undermines its very narrative.
The Union cannot credibly speak of democracy, rule of law, and resilience abroad while tolerating stagnation and inaction in its own neighborhood.
Balkan countries deepen ties with Russia and China
Negotiations over the EU accession of Moldova and Ukraine have reignited hope in Albania, Montenegro, and North Macedonia.
According to current plans, Montenegro and Albania are expected to join the EU in 2028 and 2030 respectively — though these dates remain fluid.
At the same time, as accession is continuously postponed, Balkan countries are strengthening ties with Russia and China.
Serbia, for instance, is expanding its energy cooperation with Russia and purchasing surveillance systems from China, while Montenegro — despite being a NATO member — is deepening its economic dependence on Beijing through loans under the Belt and Road Initiative, which are increasingly used as leverage within the alliance network.
Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Georgia, Moldova, North Macedonia, Serbia, Turkey, Ukraine, and Montenegro all have official EU candidate status.
Brussels continues to pressure Serbia to grant the same status to the unrecognized Kosovo — a key step toward formal recognition of its independence.
North Macedonia has been a candidate since 2005, Serbia since 2009, and Montenegro since 2010.
Albania obtained candidate status in June 2014, and Bosnia and Herzegovina followed on December 15, 2022.
Although the process is technically ongoing, the constant delays and lack of a clear horizon for full membership are eroding the EU’s credibility in the Balkans — while strengthening the influence of other major powers in the region.
www.bankingnews.gr
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