This paper examines how the Serbian Orthodox Church (SOC) is portrayed in existing research and media discourse, primarily as a major conduit of Russian influence in the Western Balkans through narratives tied to the Kremlin’s “Russian World” project and hybrid warfare activities.

This publication assesses how six external actors - Russia, China, Türkiye, the United Arab Emirates (UAE), Israel, and Azerbaijan - engage with the Western Balkans (WB) and how such engagement affects the European Union (EU) enlargement process.

The concept of the “colour revolution” has shifted from describing democratic uprisings in post-socialist states to serving as a powerful tool of authoritarian control. In Serbia, the ruling elite—drawing heavily on the Russian strategic playbook—has reframed the term as a symbol of foreign subversion aimed at overthrowing the government and destabilising the country. Since 2012, this narrative has been systematically used to delegitimise dissent, protests, and civic mobilisation.

The war in Ukraine has reverberated across the Western Balkans in ways that reflect the region’s own political dynamics more than the influence of any external actor, including Russia. In Serbia, Montenegro, and Bosnia and Herzegovina, media coverage and public narratives surrounding the conflict have been shaped primarily by domestic political realities, local media structures, and long-standing identity divides.

Political, media and economic influences of certain actors continue to strongly define the region’s security landscape, concluded participants of the workshop on security and stability impacts in the region, held on 23 October 2025, at the Civic Energy Center (CEC) in North Mitrovica.

This policy paper examines Western Balkan stakeholders' perspectives on what is needed for meaningful enlargement and the EU reforms they consider essential for an effective expanded Union. Field research in spring and summer 2024 included 16 high-level interviews with representatives from all six countries of the region.

On 26 May, the Belgrade Centre for Security Policy (BCSP) and the Faculty of Political Sciences (FPN), University of Belgrade, co-organised the conference “Frontlines of Influence: The EU’s Role in the Western Balkans and the Eastern Partnership”. The event was held at the Europe House as part of the GeoPowerEU and REUNIR projects.

On 20 February, 2025, the Belgrade Centre for Security Policy presented its latest research, titled “Non-Malign Influence - What Does the Russian Community in Serbia Think and Do,” at the Envoy Conference in Belgrade.

This study examines the political views of the Russian immigrant community in Serbia who relocated following the beginning of a full-scale Russian aggression against Ukraine in February 2022.