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Tag: Russian influence

Normalizing pro-Russia narratives straight from the Kremlin playbook: an autopsy of an average Italian social media feed

Russian disinformation is highly visible in Italian social media. The flat, open, and porous nature of the platforms offers fertile ground for such influence to spread and normalize.

December 10, 2025 - Stefano Braghiroli

What determines whether a country supports Ukraine?

Support for Ukraine in its fight against Russian aggression continues to divide opinion on the global stage. While Kyiv continues to enjoy the support of various countries for a wide variety of reasons, many others prize above all the maintenance of good links with the Kremlin.

October 8, 2025 - Valerii Pekar

Serbia’s shrinking civic space needs international attention

In recent months, Serbia has witnessed an alarming crackdown on its civic space. This has unfolded through a wave of arrests, smear campaigns, and repressive tactics aimed at silencing dissent and undermining democratic principles. These actions, exacerbated by growing Russian and Chinese influence, reveal a systematic effort of Serbia’s authorities to suppress civil society and stifle public dissent.

January 13, 2025 - Alma Mustajbašić Dragoslava Barzut

Romania and Moldova: Europe’s “special relationship”

Romania’s Klaus Iohannis and Moldova’s Maia Sandu have built a strong friendship that is leading Europe’s response to a neo-imperialist Russia.

November 20, 2024 - Hugo Blewett-Mundy

Mapping scenarios for future Russia-Kazakhstan relations

The war in Ukraine has encouraged discussion on Russia’s wider designs for the region. This is particularly clear with regards to Kazakhstan, which is also home to a large Russian-speaking population. Various scenarios are possible regarding this pivotal Central Asian state.

September 6, 2024 - Harry Fennell Ignacio Hutin Mariam Bitchoshvili Zahar Hryniv

Expect Russia to meddle in Georgia’s parliamentary election

The ruling party in Georgia has continued to pursue policies that threaten both the country’s democracy and westward orientation. This will become a key issue during the upcoming elections, with citizens faced with a choice that will involve more than just rival political parties.

August 2, 2024 - Mark Temnycky

Combatting disinformation by state agencies: the case of the Swedish Psychological Defence Agency 

Interview with Mikael Tofvesson, head of the operational department of the Psychological Defence Agency. Interviewer: Andrzej Kozłowski.

May 7, 2024 - Andrzej Kozłowski Mikael Tofvesson

The double murder that traumatized North Macedonia

Two recent disappeared person cases in North Macedonia could not have looked more different at first glance. However, further investigations have brought to light connections to an obscure pro-Russian network in the country. Such a shocking turn of events only further shows Moscow’s influence during a time of heightened uncertainty across the region.

North Macedonia, a nation with a rich history and vibrant culture, has, unfortunately, experienced its fair share of distressing incidents, including public shootings, criminal clashes, and cases of femicide over the years. But rarely has Macedonian society been so shaken to its very core as after the double murder of Vanja Gjorchevska, a 14-year-old teenager from Skopje, and Pance Zhezhovski, a 74-year-old retired barber from the town of Veles. What makes this crime particularly horrifying is the unprecedented cruelty inflicted upon a minor and an elderly citizen.

April 11, 2024 - Jovan Gjorgovski

The rise of the pro-Putin Revival party in Bulgaria

The Bulgarian far-right Revival present themselves as “the only patriotic party” in Bulgaria. However, a review of their public discourse uncovers a rather disturbing fabric of their patriotism – a strange mix of anti-NATO rhetoric, unrefined populism, xenophobia, and profanity. Their sudden electoral success raises many suspicions.

From an underdog with merely 37,896 votes in the 2017 parliamentary election, Bulgaria’s Revival party (Vazrazhdane) has managed to gain 358,174 votes in the 2023 election and to secure itself 37 seats in the country’s 240-seat parliament. Its meteoritic rise is often used as an argument justifying the shameful union between the reformists (PPDB) and the establishment (GERB; DPS) in Bulgaria which, in turn, resulted in the election of Nikolay Denkov’s government in 2023. The marriage of convenience between PPDB, GERB, and DPS, which emerged in 2023, is presented as a Euro-Atlantic micro alliance protecting Bulgaria from the malicious influence of Vladimir Putin’s circles allegedly channelled by Revival – an account that feeds into the current dominant geopolitical narrative.

April 11, 2024 - Radosveta Vassileva

Montenegro’s new government: another step closer to Belgrade 

At first glance, the formation of Montenegro’s new government appears to represent a victory for pro-western forces in the country. Despite this, the new coalition is ultimately propped up by groups with close links to both Serbia and Russia.

November 21, 2023 - Kenneth Morrison Srdja Pavlović

Bulgaria must seize the moment and tackle Russian influence

Bulgaria has usually been viewed as one of the most corrupt states in the European Union. This has often been blamed on Russian influence, and it continues to challenge the country’s democracy. Despite this, Sofia now does seem to be making progress in tackling these closely connected problems.

November 13, 2023 - Eguiar Lizundia Graham Scott

Russia’s (fading) influence

Russia’s influence in the Western Balkans is traditionally based on its soft power, the energy sector and its diplomatic support for Serbia’s position on Kosovo. The religious, cultural and historic relationship of Moscow with the Orthodox population in the region has been taken as a reason for Russia’s attractiveness. However, with Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and its consequences, the strength of Russian influence in the region is being questioned.

It is commonly said that the Russian aggression against Ukraine has further exposed the fault lines between Moscow and the West in the Western Balkans and that Russia’s aggressive posture in the region is only set to grow as a consequence of the war. Is this concern legitimate or is the Kremlin’s influence in the Western Balkans going to diminish as a consequence of Putin’s invasion of Ukraine?

September 11, 2023 - Katarina Tadić

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