April 2025

Putin wants Western Balkans as his next ‘playground,’ UK warns
Tensions are rising in the Western Balkans, Europe’s ‘other hotspot.’ Britain’s foreign affairs chief David Lammy sees the ‘long hand of Russian interference.’,

While Europe’s attention has been focused on Ukraine, tensions in the Western Balkans have been simmering, and leaders in the region — as well as in Britain — worry Russian President Vladimir Putin will use the moment to further exploit fault lines in the former Yugoslavia.

The Western Balkans are described as “the other hotspot” by figures in the upper echelons of the U.K. government — and with the heat now being turned up, Britain is pushing for all six states in the region to join the EU to ward off Russian influence. Read more in the Politico article from 9 April 2025 here