The European Parliament denounces the chance Serbia has given to the Russian channel, Russia Today, to spread its campaign in the Western Balkan region.

In a report dedicated to the foreign influences in Europe and the Balkan countries, the EP mentions that the Russian state channel is under sanctions from the European Union, as it is accused of spreading Russian propaganda.

The report was written by a special committee of the European Parliament for foreign interference and was approved by the Committee on Foreign Affairs. It underlines the need that the EU has to oppose the propaganda by actors with malicious intentions in the Western Balkans, who are interested in harming the values of the EU.

The report assesses that the region is an area where different strategic interests meet and some countries, especially Serbia and areas dominated by them, are sensitive to destabilization attempts.

The report mentions using strategic investments and disinformation campaigns that harm EU’s reputation and interfere with democratic processes.

Russia, according to the report, uses its influence in Serbia by trying to destabilize neighbor countries, for example, through Republika Srpska in Bosnia and Hercegovina, the Serbian Orthodox Church in Montenegro, or in Kosovo by taking advantage of the existing tensions in the North.