The war in Ukraine : Europe’s geopolitical momentum. Will the Western Balkans take advantage of It?

Abstract

The European Union (EU) has always been cautious about becoming a genuine global geopolitical actor. This is the case because, becoming a raw geopolitical actor would mean prioritising “interest” and “power” to “conditionality”, a principle that is the basis of the enlargement policy of the EU regarding candidate countries. Over the years, the accession process is becoming an increasingly rocky road for the countries of the Western Balkans. Simultaneously, a smoother path has been created for these countries by the third players in the region - China, Russia, Turkey, and the Gulf countries - a path that comes without conditions for reform. These foreign actors influence the region by pouring investment in different sectors in exchange for political allegiance.