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Russian Influence in the Balkans

Russian influence in the Western Balkans, especially in Serbia and Bosnia and Herzegovina/Republika Srpska, is not the product of a single lever of power, but of a symbiosis of influence in three key areas: the media ecosystem (RT/Sputnik and local amplifiers), political symbolism and diplomatic networks (official visits, embassy statements), and cultural and identity-based affinity (film festivals, the Russian House, the Orthodox connection).

This symbiosis allows Moscow to maintain a steady presence in public opinion and political processes at relatively low cost, especially through war propaganda that blends global themes into a local historical context (“Kosovo is Ukraine,” “The West threatens Serbs just as it threatens Russians”).

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Russian influence in the Balkans

Vujatović, Đorđe | Sarajevo : Friedrich-Ebert-Stiftung, Bosna i Hercegovina, November 2025

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