Former British Ambassador to Russia: Putin wants to promote conflict in Balkans

In his comment to Sky News, which more resembled a warning, former British Ambassador to Russia Sir Roderic Lyne drew attention specifically to the Balkan region.

“I think he will try to encourage more conflict in the Balkans. I think we'll see the Russians become even more active in east and North Africa”, said Roderic Lyne, former British ambassador to Russia.

The ambassador conveyed his belief that at a certain moment, the Russian leader could offer a kind of ceasefire in exchange for recognising the annexation of the four western provinces of Ukraine. I think he's going to use a series of tactics because the field situation in Ukraine is becoming increasingly difficult for his troops, Lyne adds.

Meanwhile, Russian plans for the Balkans continue to focus on minimising the region's EU countries' political support, and on efforts to turn into Moscow supporters. Keeping the region in the waiting room since 2003, Brussels has significantly reduced its influence.

The European Union should not forget experts say it needs these allies to fight major security challenges. Otherwise, it will leave behind an increasingly divided Balkans, where Russia has cultivated nationalist groups and uses dezinformation to undermine pro-democracy Narratives.