Montenegro And Albania Are Calling On NATO For Help

The two Balkan countries are seeking the support of the military alliance to combat disinformation campaigns attributed to Moscow. This threat is of particular concern to both governments as elections approach and their accession to the European Union becomes more likely.

Faced with the Russian threat , a plea for help. The defense ministers of Montenegro and Albania stated, in an article published Tuesday, November 3, on Politico , that they wish for NATO support in combating the growing Russian disinformation campaign in their countries. “Russia is continuously conducting information campaigns targeting the vulnerabilities of Montenegrins and other societies in the Western Balkans,” asserted Dragan Krapovic, inviting high-level NATO officials to visit his country to witness the situation firsthand.

But beyond diplomatic trips, it is the deployment of experts from the military alliance that interests the authors of the request. Albanian Defense Minister Ermal Nufi asserted that NATO should be “more active in identifying ways to counter malicious actors online.” According to alliance diplomats interviewed by Politico, sending a team of experts would require consensus among the members. This is a possibility that the allies could consider.

A growing foreign influence

This would not be the first time. In 2019, NATO agreed to send intervention teams to Montenegro to combat hybrid warfare. Lithuania also benefited from these forces in 2021. The following year, in 2022, Albania hosted these experts after an Iranian cyberattack paralyzed the government.

Podgorica and Tirana wish to renew this partnership because Moscow is intensifying its hybrid attacks on European soil. Since May, the Albanian government has accused Russia of encouraging anti-corruption protests. At the root of these protests is a proposed luxury hotel complex in a protected natural area, slated to open in 2024, linked to Jared Kushner, Donald Trump’s son-in-law. But it was two years later, in May, with the installation of barbed wire fences around the beaches of Zvernec, about 150 kilometers southwest of Tirana, that the anger officially spilled into the streets. Since then, the movement has continued to grow, denouncing government corruption more broadly. In mid-October, university and high school students joined the ongoing protests to denounce their poor study conditions.


In addition to Russia, the head of government accuses Iran of having sought to fuel the protests. He denounces, in particular, coordinated activity on social media, citing thousands of profiles activated from Iranian territory to influence Albanian public debate. The Minister of Defense also implicated “organizations indirectly linked to Russia,” claiming to have observed “their online interactions.” These accusations, however, should be treated with caution. While disinformation campaigns linked to Moscow have indeed been documented in Albania, no publicly available evidence currently supports Edi Rama’s accusations regarding Russian or Iranian involvement in the demonstrations. Both countries have, moreover, denied any interference.

Russian influence in the country is not new, however. According to a report by the Balkan Investigative Journalism Network (BIRN), Moscow has been disseminating narratives hostile to the country’s accession to the European Union for several years and has been stirring up divisions on social issues, particularly LGBTQ+ rights.

EU memberships at stake

The fight against this disinformation is all the more urgent for these Balkan countries, as elections will soon be held. In Montenegro, parliamentary elections will take place in the summer of 2027. In the second country, local elections will be held in May.


Both countries also actively wish to join the European Union. Jakov Milatovic’s country, however, is on the right track and hopes to join the EU by 2028. On Wednesday, November 4, the European Commission presented the accession prospects for the four candidate states : Montenegro, Albania, Ukraine, and Moldova. Currently, Montenegro has provisionally closed 21 of the 33 open negotiation chapters, allowing the European Commission to consider signing its treaty in June 2027. This process, however, remains subject to negotiations and the agreement of the 27 member states.

For its part, Albania should be able to conclude its negotiations with Brussels next year, according to the Commission. However, the Commission is also asking Albania to continue an inclusive political dialogue, the judicial reforms already underway, and the fight against corruption. These are all areas that Bajram Begaj’s country will have to address if it hopes to join the European Union by the end of the decade, as it hopes.