The European Union dilemma: Russia’s and China’s increasing influence in the Western Balkans (case study: Serbia and Montenegro)

This paper discusses the growing influence and transformative power of Beijing and Moscow in the Western Balkans (WB), particularly as regards Serbia and Montenegro, and its implications for the European Union (EU). It draws upon both primary and secondary sources and narratives currently dominating public discourse in Serbia and Montenegro. The paper focuses on the main tools – economic, political, and cultural – which Russia and China use to establish themselves as viable and/or even preferable alternatives to the EU.