RUSSIA IN THE WESTERN BALKANS: A RECEDING POWER

This study explores Russia’s efforts to move closer to the Western Balkan states of Bosnia-Herzegovina, Montenegro, North Macedonia and Serbia which have expedited following the fall-out with the EU and the USA because of Crimea. Russia has intensified its dialogue with some political parties in these states, invested in key sectors of the economies of these countries’ and enhanced military cooperation with some of them. Russia’s efforts up to now have yielded mediocre results. The political influence of the EU in the region has increased to the detriment of Russia, Moscow has been surpassed by Brussels in the economic realm and all of these states with the exception of the Republika Srpska in Bosnia-Herzegovina continue to maintain military relations with the EU and NATO.

BATI BALKANLAR’DA RUSYA: GERİLEYEN BİR GÜÇ

Bu çalışma AB ve ABD ile Kırım nedeniyle yaşanan sürtüşme sonrasında hızlanan Rusya’nın Batı Balkan devletlerinden Bosna-Hersek, Karadağ, Kuzey Makedonya ve Sırbistan’ı yanına çekme çabalarını inceler. Rusya bu ülkelerdeki bazı siyasi partiler ile diyalogunu arttırmış, bu ülkelerin ekonomilerindeki kilit sektörlere yatırım yapmış ve bazıları ile askeri işbirliğini geliştirmiştir. Rusya’nın şu ana kadarki gayretleri vasat sonuçlar vermiştir. AB’nin bölgedeki nüfuzu Rusya’nın aleyhine artmaktadır, Moskova ekonomik düzlemde Brüksel’in gölgesinde kalmıştır ve Bosna-Hersek’in Sırp Cumhuriyeti entitesi dışında bütün bu devletler AB ve NATO ile askeri bağlarını korumaktadır.

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