The struggle between Western powers and Russia over the Balkan Peninsula is heating up, with a predatory China seeking to benefit from the turmoil.

The new government in Montenegro, established in December 2020, was viewed in Western capitals as a fresh start to eliminate corruption and enable Montenegro to make faster progress toward EU membership. Instead, the new administration has become increasingly vulnerable to Moscow’s agenda. The Kremlin views the Balkans as a strategic asset and a stepping stone to the Adriatic and Mediterranean. It seeks to preclude Western unity and undermine the role of multinational organizations. Fomenting conflict in Montenegro not only contributes to unsettling the region, it also provides an opportunity to subvert a new NATO state and discredit the alliance for other prospective members.