Abstract
This study explores Russia’s efforts to move closer to the Western Balkan states of Bosnia-Herzegovina, Montenegro, North Macedonia and Serbia which have expedited following the fall-out with the EU and the USA because of Crimea. Russia has intensified its dialogue with some political parties in these states, invested in key sectors of the economies of these countries’ and enhanced military cooperation with some of them. Russia’s efforts up to now have yielded mediocre results. The political influence of the EU in the region has increased to the detriment of Russia, Moscow has been surpassed by Brussels in the economic realm and all of these states with the exception of the Republika Srpska in Bosnia-Herzegovina continue to maintain military relations with the EU and NATO.
Highlights
In the post-Cold War period, the Western Balkans did not appear to be vital to Russia’s national interests
Russia’s pursuit of a more assertive and compelling foreign policy line in the Western Balkans to lure Bosnia-Herzegovina, Macedonia, Montenegro and Serbia into its fold came into open as a result of the Crimean crisis which widened the gap between Russia and the West to a great extent
Subscribed to a neorealist world view that postulated an international system governed by anarchy and designated survival as the ultimate goal of a state which could be achieved only through reliance on its own capacity and resources, Russia aimed to maintain its position as a great power amid competition with other influential actors such as the US, China, the European Union (EU) and Japan
Summary
In the post-Cold War period, the Western Balkans did not appear to be vital to Russia’s national interests. The endurance of regional conflicts, political instability, weak institutions and social tensions in the Western Balkans would urge the EU to devote more attention, time and resources to its near neighbourhood, would have less desire and wherewithal to make significant headway in its Eastern Partnership initiative which anticipated building stronger political and economic ties with the former Soviet states of Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Georgia, Moldova and Ukraine which Russia still considered as part of its near abroad In line with this reasoning, the February 2013 Foreign Policy Concept stated that the Balkan region was of great strategic importance to Russia and declared that it intended to develop comprehensive pragmatic and equitable cooperation with the countries of the region.. This paper, which is divided into three parts, examines the Russian efforts in the political, economic and security spheres to strengthen its hand in the Western Balkans and explores the reasons of their moderate success
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