Problems and prospects of development of cooperation in the Balkans: Russia’s role

This chapter examines the relations between Russia and the countries of the Balkan Peninsula at the beginning of the 21st century. The Balkan region is in the circles of interest of USA, EU and Russia, and in recent years the political activities of the parties have shown themselves more actively in relation to the Balkan countries. This is due not only to the accession of new countries into the EU or to the expansion of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO), but also because of the growing influence of Russia in the Balkans. Thus, we pay attention to the analysis of the Russian influence in the Balkan region and argue that it is not defined as a “new” issue, since Russia is not a fan of EU or NATO enlargement. However, the relationships between these parties depends on international factors influenced by contemporary political realities. In this context, we analyse the current state of cooperation, including problems and prospects, and define Russia’s role in this region.