The study, authored by a team of British and international experts including Lord George Robertson, former NATO Secretary-General, presents a comprehensive overview of the hybrid threats and political manipulations that threaten peace in Southeast Europe. According to the report, these destabilizing efforts are part of Moscow’s broader strategy to undermine NATO and EU influence in the region, using Serbia as a regional proxy.
Kosovo at the Center of Regional Security Tensions
The report identifies Kosovo as “the epicenter of coordinated Serbian-Russian efforts to create instability,” citing multiple incidents that highlight escalating tensions. A key event noted is the paramilitary attack in Banjska, northern Kosovo, in September 2023, where three individuals, including Kosovo Police officer Afrim Bunjaku, lost their lives.
According to the document, the assault was orchestrated by Serbian extremist groups with direct ties to President Aleksandar Vučić’s government, while Russia is believed to have provided logistical, intelligence, and disinformation support. The incident, the report argues, demonstrates how Belgrade and Moscow are aligning security operations to challenge Kosovo’s sovereignty and provoke inter-ethnic conflict.
Russian and Serbian Operations in the Western Balkans
Beyond Kosovo, the report outlines that both the Kremlin and the Serbian government are conducting joint intelligence and propaganda operations across Bosnia and Herzegovina, Montenegro, and North Macedonia.
Through the Serbian Orthodox Church and various cultural and media networks, Russia is spreading anti-Western narratives, funding nationalist movements, and undermining democratic institutions. The goal, the experts say, is to discredit Western integration processes and maintain the Western Balkans in a state of permanent political tension—thus preventing the full expansion of NATO and the EU in the region.
The analysis also highlights the use of cyber operations, disinformation campaigns, and infiltration of local political elites as part of Moscow’s “hybrid war toolkit.” These efforts are aimed at destabilizing fragile states and eroding public trust in democratic governance.
The UK’s Call for a Coordinated Western Response
In its recommendations, the New Diplomacy Project urges the British government to play a more assertive role in the Western Balkans. The authors propose the creation of a Balkan Joint Expeditionary Force (BJEF), a UK-led multinational unit that would support NATO and EUFOR missions in Bosnia and Kosovo.
The report further suggests that Britain should sign bilateral security agreements with Kosovo and Bosnia and Herzegovina—similar to those recently established with Ukraine—as a clear signal of commitment to their future NATO membership and territorial integrity.
Such initiatives would not only reinforce regional stability but also re-establish British diplomatic influence in an area historically seen as a testing ground for great-power rivalries.
Addressing Russian Threats and Supporting Kosovo
The report emphasizes that Serbian and Russian activities in the Balkans are part of a larger geopolitical strategy to distract Western attention from Russia’s aggression in Ukraine. By fomenting crises in the Western Balkans, Moscow seeks to divide Western alliances and weaken their ability to maintain a unified stance on global security.
“In Kosovo, Serbia and Russia have worked hand in hand to provoke the most serious security crisis in Europe since the war in Ukraine,” the document states. This strategy, it continues, represents a direct threat to European peace, requiring a firm and unified Western response.
The authors call for increased support to Kosovo’s security institutions, greater investment in counter-disinformation efforts, and continued coordination between NATO and the EU to deter any further attempts at destabilization.
Strengthening Euro-Atlantic Integration for Long-Term Stability
The report concludes with a strong message: maintaining Kosovo’s independence, democratic progress, and Euro-Atlantic path is essential for safeguarding the stability of the entire Western Balkans.
It urges London, Brussels, and Washington to adopt a comprehensive approach—combining diplomacy, defense cooperation, and economic engagement—to resist authoritarian influence and secure lasting peace in the region.
By restoring its leadership role, the United Kingdom can help ensure that the Western Balkans remain anchored to democratic and European values, rather than drifting into the orbit of Russian and Serbian revisionism.
In summary, the findings of this British report serve as a stark reminder that Kosovo’s security is inseparable from Europe’s broader stability. As hybrid warfare and geopolitical manipulation intensify, the Western allies must act decisively—not only to protect Kosovo but to preserve peace in the heart of Europe.