GEOPOLITICS OF THE BALKANS AND THE ESTABLISHMENT OF A NEW REGIONAL ORDER

Abstract

The Balkans represent one of the most active geopolitical hotspots in Western Eurasia. Frequent destabilizations, conflicts and border changes in this geographical area are also caused by changes in the geopolitical environment. The change in the balance of interests in the broader, global or continental frameworks is reflected on the regional order. In this paper, relying on the theoretical framework of the realist school of international relations research and Randall Schweller’s thesis on the conflicting interests of states trying to preserve the status quo and revisionist powers, the impact of the escalation of the crises in Ukraine (2022) and the Middle East (2026) on the maintenance of the existing regional order is analyzed. The conclusion is that the order is undoubtedly being transformed, since such an outcome is conditioned by a change in the balance of interests between the great and regional powers that have their own geopolitical goals in the Balkans. However, it is extremely uncertain how the new order will be established and what its structure will be.