Putin is opening up a new front against the West

Excerpt

In the face of mounting tensions, Vladimir Putin’s overarching strategic objective is now clear: to dismantle NATO and expose the alliance’s vulnerabilities. With Russia experiencing setbacks in Ukraine, the immediate threat to NATO members like Poland and the Baltic States may be somewhat mitigated. However, it is in the Balkans where NATO’s weakest flank lies, presenting an opportune target for Russia’s ambitions.

This week, in one of the worst confrontations since Kosovo declared independence from Serbia in 2008, dozens of heavily armed ethnic Serbs attacked police in northern Kosovo and barricaded themselves in an Orthodox church; an incident leaving one police officer and three of the attackers dead. Kosovo’s leaders, understandably, labelled it a terrorist attack. The Serbian President, Aleksandar Vučić, denied any involvement, complaining to Russia’s Ambassador to Serbia that Kosovo’s Prime Minister, Albin Kurti, was carrying out “brutal ethnic cleansing” with support of the West.

Dr. Ivana Stradner is a Research Fellow at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies. Follow her on X: @ivanastradner. FDD is a Washington, DC-based, nonpartisan research institute focusing on national security and foreign policy.