Eastern Promise and EU Integration: Deciphering the Strategic Implications of External Influences in the Western Balkans

The Western Balkans, which include Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Kosovo, Montenegro, North Macedonia, and Serbia, are important geopolitical entities that serve as a conduit and battleground for influence between the European Union (EU) and external powers such as Russia, China, and Turkey. This article explores the complexities of EU integration in the Western Balkans, emphasising significant external influences from those global actors. The primary research problem focuses on how these influences manifest politically, economically, and culturally along with their implications for the region’s EU accession efforts. The analysis demonstrates that the EU’s approach to enlargement is increasingly influenced by geopolitical imperatives rather than purely political and economic reforms. Given the involvement of many external actors, the EU must devise a sophisticated policy that strikes a balance between advancing democratic ideals and addressing strategic security concerns. The article emphasises the EU’s urgent need to accelerate integration as a “geostrategic investment” (European Commission, 2018), with the goal of stabilising its periphery and countering these external forces. Finally, the article claims that successful EU integration for the Western Balkans depends on efficiently controlling external impacts and strengthening institutional resilience. The findings call for a diverse EU policy that blends geopolitical pragmatism with democratic governance to ensure the region’s inclusion into the European framework. This strategic balance is critical for maintaining stability and promoting long-term development in the Western Balkans in the face of competing global interests.