Session

Security Studies

Description

The purpose of this paper is to identify the sources of Russian influence in the Western Balkans. The most influential tool of the Russian Federation is the information warfare, composed with hybrid tactics, attempting to set a foot in the Western Balkans. Qualitative methods were used for analysis and the findings. The main results indicate that Russia has divers’ methods to impact political developments in the Balkans. Russia has been interested in this part of Europe, and it engages with all interested sides in the region. With its state propaganda, Russia at least has the ability to divert the policies of the Western Balkan states towards the EU. Moscow prefers the status of neutrality of the countries that emerged from the Yugoslav Federation. In other words, Kremlin challenges the U.S. on some levels and the sources of Russian influence primarily are stemming from information warfare strategies integrated in different platforms. Recently the EU and the U.S. have expressed their concerns on several occasions over the direction of democracy in the Balkans. Indeed, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Kosovo, Montenegro, and North Macedonia remain on the edge of Russia’s ‘sharp knife’ which has the purpose of reversing the reforms and imposing the set of regulations which favors Kremlin in the Balkans. As the paper indicates, Russia uses domestic and international news outlets as propaganda to reach the nations in the region to win hearts and minds of the people against the Western approach to some extent. Therefore, the tendency of Russian propaganda remains a threat for the Western Balkans fragile societies. Russian strategic investments are primarily in the energy infrastructure, the oil market and the news outlet organizations around the region. However, Russia keeps her hands open and engages with Serbia via the news organizations such as ‘Sputink Serbija’ and it utilizes Belgrade as a geopolitical tool to stir the unrest in Northern Kosovo. Russia and Serbia have good strategic relations which makes Russia a great power in the Balkans and as a key player. We conclude that the Balkans remain a flashpoint for regional actors and non-state actors. The Balkan states must continue the path of reforms as the only way to achieve peace and prosperity. But as paper emphasizes, Russia will continue to play crucial role in all events of the Balkan politics due to the power of Russian Federation in international politics.

Keywords:

Russia, Western Balkans, hybrid warfare, disinformation, covert operations

Session Chair

Alfred Malreku

Session Co-Chair

Ahmet Nuredini

Proceedings Editor

Edmond Hajrizi

ISBN

978-9951-437-96-7

First Page

5

Last Page

8

Location

Lipjan, Kosovo

Start Date

31-10-2020 9:00 AM

End Date

31-10-2020 10:30 AM

DOI

10.33107/ubt-ic.2020.494

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Oct 31st, 9:00 AM Oct 31st, 10:30 AM

RUSSIAN DISINFORMATION IN THE BALKANS

Lipjan, Kosovo

The purpose of this paper is to identify the sources of Russian influence in the Western Balkans. The most influential tool of the Russian Federation is the information warfare, composed with hybrid tactics, attempting to set a foot in the Western Balkans. Qualitative methods were used for analysis and the findings. The main results indicate that Russia has divers’ methods to impact political developments in the Balkans. Russia has been interested in this part of Europe, and it engages with all interested sides in the region. With its state propaganda, Russia at least has the ability to divert the policies of the Western Balkan states towards the EU. Moscow prefers the status of neutrality of the countries that emerged from the Yugoslav Federation. In other words, Kremlin challenges the U.S. on some levels and the sources of Russian influence primarily are stemming from information warfare strategies integrated in different platforms. Recently the EU and the U.S. have expressed their concerns on several occasions over the direction of democracy in the Balkans. Indeed, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Kosovo, Montenegro, and North Macedonia remain on the edge of Russia’s ‘sharp knife’ which has the purpose of reversing the reforms and imposing the set of regulations which favors Kremlin in the Balkans. As the paper indicates, Russia uses domestic and international news outlets as propaganda to reach the nations in the region to win hearts and minds of the people against the Western approach to some extent. Therefore, the tendency of Russian propaganda remains a threat for the Western Balkans fragile societies. Russian strategic investments are primarily in the energy infrastructure, the oil market and the news outlet organizations around the region. However, Russia keeps her hands open and engages with Serbia via the news organizations such as ‘Sputink Serbija’ and it utilizes Belgrade as a geopolitical tool to stir the unrest in Northern Kosovo. Russia and Serbia have good strategic relations which makes Russia a great power in the Balkans and as a key player. We conclude that the Balkans remain a flashpoint for regional actors and non-state actors. The Balkan states must continue the path of reforms as the only way to achieve peace and prosperity. But as paper emphasizes, Russia will continue to play crucial role in all events of the Balkan politics due to the power of Russian Federation in international politics.