[20180131]IN10851_巴尔干半岛和俄罗斯.pdf

CRS INSIGHT Prepared for Members and Committees of Congress INSIGHTINSIGHTi i The Balkans and Russia name redacted Section Research Manager January 31, 2018 Following the end of the Balkan wars in the 1990s, periods of stability allowed several of the nations of Southeast Europe to pursue reforms, incorporate Western values, and join the European Union (EU) and NATO. Recently, however, the Western Balkans have experienced various degrees of political instability involving elements of nationalist politics, stagnating economies, public frustration over corruption, ethnic tensions, and violence. Although some of the tension has receded, many observers remain concerned that the regions stability could unravel again. For some, at the core of this uncertainty lies Russia, which could provoke such a turn of events. The Balkans Uneasy Relations with Russia The unsettled nature of the Balkans has given Moscow a geopolitical opportunity to aggressively exploit and a chance to reassert itself as a significant influence in the region. Russia considers much of the Balkans an area of historical linkages, whether through ethnic connections to Slavic populations or through its perceived role as p