Luke Coffey
When considering the security and stability of Europe, the first thing that comes to mind is Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. After all, it is the largest outbreak of war in Europe since the 1940s.
However, about 1,000 kilometers to the southwest of the front lines in Ukraine, another European security crisis is brewing.
The Balkans region in southeastern Europe is prone to instability. It faces many economic challenges. Ethnic, religious and sectarian differences remain a source of friction in society. And for better or worse, it is also susceptible to the influence of outside actors; Russia, the US, China and Turkiye, among others, all have interests and hold sway in the region.
After several bloody sectarian wars in the 1990s, following the dissolution of Yugoslavia, Europeans and Americans were able to stabilize the region through a series of peacekeeping operations. The geopolitical situation in the Balkans has since remained stable but fragile. There has not been a serious threat of instability— until now.
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