*Prepared by: Bardhi Bakija
The Western Balkans has become one of the most critical battlegrounds in the global disinformation war. Here, Russia, China, and local elites have skillfully used disinformation to destabilize fragile democracies and slow the region’s integration into Western structures like the EU and NATO. This battle is not just about spreading false information—it’s about gaining control, shaping public opinion, and undermining democracy in a region already facing political and economic challenges.
Russia’s Strategy: Undermining Western Influence
Russia has long used disinformation as part of its strategy to maintain influence in the Western Balkans. Its methods are familiar: framing NATO and the EU as aggressors while presenting Russia as the protector of Slavic and Orthodox unity. Russian-backed outlets like Sputnik Srbija constantly push these narratives, especially in Serbia, where anti-Western sentiment is widespread. Since the war in Ukraine, these efforts have increased, with Russia portraying NATO as an instigator and causing distrust in the EU. Radio Free Europe highlights how Russia uses disinformation to exploit existing ethnic tensions and deepen divisions.
Russia’s goal is clear: weaken trust in Western institutions and delay the region’s move toward EU and NATO membership. By supporting nationalist movements, especially in Serbia and Bosnia’s Republika Srpska, Russia creates more division and makes it harder for these countries to align with the West. Moscow sees the Western Balkans as strategically important, and by influencing public opinion and stirring internal conflict, Russia keeps a hold on the region, even as it risks losing influence to Western institutions.
Russia’s disinformation campaigns in the Balkans also take advantage of the region’s complicated history. Moscow skillfully manipulates memories of the Yugoslav wars, playing on ethnic tensions and mistrust. By bringing up old wounds, Russia is able to disrupt conversations about cooperation and democracy.
China’s Economic Leverage and Narrative Control
While Russia uses disinformation to create division, China plays a longer, subtler game. China builds influence in the Western Balkans through its Belt and Road Initiative, offering much-needed infrastructure projects to countries like Serbia and Montenegro. However, these investments come with a price—not just in debt, but in political control.
Recently, China targeted Sbunker, falsely accusing it of being funded by the National Endowment for Democracy (NED) to incite division. This attack is part of China’s wider strategy of discrediting independent organizations that challenge its growing influence in the region. By controlling how its role is perceived, China ensures that its investments are seen positively while criticism is suppressed.
The SMIDGE project shows how China uses its economic power to influence media narratives, making it harder for civil society to speak out about the risks associated with Chinese loans and projects. This control over the narrative allows China to deepen its political and economic influence while hiding the long-term problems that come with dependency on Chinese investments.
China’s soft power also extends to cultural diplomacy, such as through Confucius Institutes and media partnerships that paint China as a positive force. However, behind this image, China is carefully shaping its public image while ensuring that critical voices are silenced.
Local Elites: Complicit in Disinformation
Disinformation isn’t only coming from foreign actors. Local political elites also use disinformation to protect their power. In Serbia, for example, President Aleksandar Vučić controls a media environment that promotes pro-Russian and pro-Chinese narratives while silencing opposition voices. The BiEPAG report shows how governments in the Balkans rely on media control to weaken democracy and stop pro-Western movements.
This strategy is simple: by spreading disinformation and framing critics as “foreign agents,” local leaders undermine the credibility of anyone who opposes them. In Serbia, for example, state-controlled media often portrays Western institutions as interfering in local affairs, blaming the EU or NATO for internal problems. This tactic diverts attention from domestic failures and creates distrust toward the West.
Kosovo faces similar issues. A recent tweet by RKS News mocked NATO’s peacekeeping mission, KFOR, questioning its effectiveness. By ridiculing NATO’s role, the tweet damages public confidence in an institution meant to maintain stability. Sbunker’s analysis shows how such disinformation taps into frustrations with international actors, further weakening trust in Western institutions.
Local elites also use disinformation to attack domestic opponents. Just recently, Kosovo’s public broadcaster was accused of launching a smear campaign against two independent media outlets. This is a clear example of how disinformation is used to silence opposition and control the narrative. By attacking independent journalists and creating doubt about their motives, political elites shield themselves from criticism while deepening the public’s mistrust of independent media.
BIRN reports that the West must do more than just counter disinformation. It must actively support independent journalism and fact-checking projects. Without this, the narratives created by local elites and foreign actors will continue to dominate the conversation, further weakening democracy.
The Battle for Press Freedom
Disinformation thrives in environments where press freedom is limited, and the Western Balkans is no exception. In Kosovo, NDI’s 2023 report shows how both foreign actors and local elites take advantage of the media’s weaknesses to spread false narratives. Often, these campaigns accuse the government of “betraying national interests” when it works with Western partners, causing distrust and unrest.
Reporters Without Borders has also documented the ongoing decline of press freedom across the region. Independent journalists, especially in Kosovo and Serbia, face growing challenges—harassment, legal threats, and political pressure. Pro-government media outlets dominate the space, spreading disinformation while drowning out independent voices. The result is a media environment where fact-checking and critical journalism are pushed to the margins.
The decline of press freedom benefits both local elites and foreign powers, who gain from the public’s inability to access reliable information. Fact-checking organizations and independent media are doing important work, but they face increasing difficulties in an environment where disinformation is better resourced and organized. According to Western Balkans Anti-Disinformation Hub, these challenges are exacerbated by the systematic targeting of journalists and media outlets that refuse to align with the narratives pushed by those in power. The report stresses that coordinated, well-funded disinformation campaigns are further deepening mistrust in local and international institutions, leaving the media landscape vulnerable to manipulation.
The EU and U.S. Response: A Coordinated Effort
The European Union has made significant efforts to counter disinformation through initiatives like the Digital Services Act (DSA) and the Action Plan Against Disinformation. These regulations help hold online platforms accountable for the content they host, making sure disinformation is reduced. Additionally, the Rapid Alert System and the European Digital Media Observatory (EDMO) are critical for monitoring and responding to disinformation across Europe, including the Balkans.
But the EU must do more than regulate platforms. As the Clingendael report points out, the EU’s approach needs to adapt to the specific political realities of each country in the region. Disinformation in the Balkans is not just a media problem—it’s part of a broader geopolitical challenge that involves cyberattacks and foreign interference.
At the same time, the United States has strengthened its support for the region. In a recent meeting between U.S. Under Secretary for Public Diplomacy Liz Allen and President Vjosa Osmani, the Framework to Counter Foreign State Information Manipulation was reinforced. This framework aims to align U.S. and EU efforts to combat Russian and Chinese disinformation in the Balkans, including through the U.S.-EU Coordination Mechanism.
But beyond regulations, what’s needed is a more comprehensive strategy that includes improving cybersecurity, increasing media literacy, and protecting independent journalism. Without these steps, the region will remain vulnerable to manipulation by both local and foreign actors, and the democratic future of the Balkans will be at risk.
Disinformation is not just about spreading falsehoods—it works to undermine trust at the deepest levels. It erodes faith in institutions like NATO, the EU, and even democracy itself. If unchecked, the cumulative effects of these efforts will have lasting consequences for the region’s stability and its prospects for integration into Western alliances.
The article was prepared by Sbunker as part of the project “Strengthening Community Resilience against Disinformation” supported through the Digital Activism Program by TechSoup Global.
