SKOPJE/BRUSSELS/BEIJING, May 27 (BV) — The United States has unveiled a new strategy for the Western Balkans focused on economic partnerships, energy security and limiting Chinese and Russian influence, signaling a shift away from the post-war “state-building” approach that dominated U.S. policy in the region for decades.
The strategy emerged as Serbian President Aleksandar Vučić deepened ties with Beijing during a state visit to China, where Chinese President Xi Jinping awarded him the Order of Friendship, China’s highest honor for foreign nationals.
According to the U.S. State Department report, Washington plans to prioritize “mutually beneficial partnerships” in trade, energy and security while countering what it describes as growing Russian and Chinese leverage over weak institutions, unresolved disputes and energy dependence in Southeast Europe.
The document accuses Moscow of exploiting ethnic divisions and energy resources for political pressure, while warning that Beijing is expanding its influence through loans, infrastructure projects and political ties with regional elites.
Serbia remains China’s closest regional partner and the largest recipient of Chinese investment in the Western Balkans.
During Vučić’s visit to Beijing, Serbia and China signed agreements covering artificial intelligence, digital infrastructure, tourism, ecology and industry, further strengthening bilateral ties.
Chinese companies already hold major stakes in Serbia’s mining sector, steel production and infrastructure development, while Belgrade’s purchase of Chinese missile systems has increased Western concerns over Beijing’s growing security footprint in Europe.
The new U.S. strategy places strong emphasis on reducing dependence on Russian gas through interconnectors, liquefied natural gas projects, renewable energy and nuclear power cooperation.
Among the priority projects highlighted are gas links between Croatia and Bosnia and Herzegovina, as well as Serbia and North Macedonia.
At the same time, analysts are warning that the European Union risks losing influence in the region unless it develops a stronger and more coherent security and political strategy.
Writing for the Balkans in Europe Policy Advisory Group (BiEPAG), analyst Kurt Bassuener said parts of the Western Balkans remained vulnerable to instability, foreign influence and what he described as a weak European response.
Bassuener argued that some regional political elites operate in a “gray zone,” using the threat of instability to extract political and financial concessions from Brussels and international actors.
He identified Bosnia and Herzegovina and northern Kosovo as the region’s most sensitive security hotspots.
According to the analysis, the lack of accountability following the 2023 Banjska attack in northern Kosovo further weakened confidence in the international security framework.
Bassuener also warned that recent shifts in U.S. foreign policy had weakened the EU’s position in the Balkans, giving regional leaders greater room to maneuver between the West, Russia and China.
He proposed the creation of a broader “Europe+” security framework involving the EU, Britain, Canada and other democratic partners, alongside a stronger EUFOR presence in Bosnia and Herzegovina and clearer European security guarantees for the region.
The analysis concluded that Europe must demonstrate greater political will and strategic coherence if it wants to preserve influence in the Western Balkans and prevent deeper geopolitical fragmentation.
The growing competition comes as several Western Balkan states continue pursuing EU membership while simultaneously expanding economic and political relations with China, Turkey and Gulf countries, reflecting an increasingly multipolar regional landscape.