Since affairs between Moscow and the West have taken a more confrontational turn, the Balkans – touted as the soft underbelly of Europe – have once again come under the spotlight as the playground Russia is supposedly using to undermine the West from within. Russia’s influence in Southeast Europe has become an ardently debated topic of late. With the book emphasising the role of pragmatism over ideology when it comes to understanding relations between Russia and the Balkan states, this meticulously researched study is essential reading, recommends Tena Prelec.
In Rival Power: Russia in Southeast Europe, Dimitar Bechev offers a nuanced and cool-headed account that challenges dominant narratives surrounding Russia’s influence in Southeast Europe.
