My Lords, Russia and China have different objectives in the western Balkans and use different levers and methods. We assess that Russia aims to keep its influence in the western Balkans and prevent further regional integration with the EU and NATO. China has built economic and political influence by investing in infrastructure, mining and technology. Serbia is the principal regional partner of both, with energy dependency on Russia but growing trade with China, including purchasing drones and air defence systems. We are working with the western Balkans and other partners to strengthen regional security and resilience and to support Euro-Atlantic pathways and co-operation.

My Lords, Russia and China have different objectives in the western Balkans and use different levers and methods. We assess that Russia aims to keep its influence in the western Balkans and prevent further regional integration with the EU and NATO. China has built economic and political influence by investing in infrastructure, mining and technology. Serbia is the principal regional partner of both, with energy dependency on Russia but growing trade with China, including purchasing drones and air defence systems. We are working with the western Balkans and other partners to strengthen regional security and resilience and to support Euro-Atlantic pathways and co-operation.

I thank the noble Lord for his Answer. Ukraine has demonstrated beyond any doubt the terrible cost of failed deterrence. We must heed that warning in the western Balkans in particular, where Russia continues to foment separatism and use the region to train operatives for destabilising activities across Europe. Meanwhile, China is deepening defence co-operation with Serbia, including in drones and military robotics. President Trump’s decision to waive new sanctions on Russia makes European resolve all the more vital. Is the noble Lord satisfied that KFOR in Kosovo and EUFOR in Bosnia have the readiness, resources and reinforcement plans necessary to deter and respond swiftly to what might be another crisis in Europe, and what firm commitment is he going to seek from the European allies at this week’s Berlin process summit to ensure that they have the necessary commitments in place and the political will to implement them?

I thank the noble Lord for his Answer. Ukraine has demonstrated beyond any doubt the terrible cost of failed deterrence. We must heed that warning in the western Balkans in particular, where Russia continues to foment separatism and use the region to train operatives for destabilising activities across Europe. Meanwhile, China is deepening defence co-operation with Serbia, including in drones and military robotics. President Trump’s decision to waive new sanctions on Russia makes European resolve all the more vital. Is the noble Lord satisfied that KFOR in Kosovo and EUFOR in Bosnia have the readiness, resources and reinforcement plans necessary to deter and respond swiftly to what might be another crisis in Europe, and what firm commitment is he going to seek from the European allies at this week’s Berlin process summit to ensure that they have the necessary commitments in place and the political will to implement them?

I thank the noble Baroness for that and for all her continuing, passionate commitment to this area over many years. She is right: I will be attending the Berlin process summit in Montenegro later this week. She is also right that EUFOR in Bosnia and KFOR in Kosovo are key parts of preparedness. We obviously participate in KFOR; we contribute around 45 personnel to NATO’s KFOR mission. EUFOR is an important part of the international architecture, and we continue to explore opportunities to co-operate with it. In the military sense,

but also in co-operating with other Governments to prepare for hybrid attacks, as well as in economic support, we continue to support Bosnia, Kosovo and the region more broadly against the Chinese and Russian challenges that they face.

I thank the noble Baroness for that and for all her continuing, passionate commitment to this area over many years. She is right: I will be attending the Berlin process summit in Montenegro later this week. She is also right that EUFOR in Bosnia and KFOR in Kosovo are key parts of preparedness. We obviously participate in KFOR; we contribute around 45 personnel to NATO’s KFOR mission. EUFOR is an important part of the international architecture, and we continue to explore opportunities to co-operate with it. In the military sense,

but also in co-operating with other Governments to prepare for hybrid attacks, as well as in economic support, we continue to support Bosnia, Kosovo and the region more broadly against the Chinese and Russian challenges that they face.

My Lords, Kremlin-controlled RT Balkan and Sputnik Serbia, as well as constant intimidation of the free media, are making life extremely difficult for journalists in Serbia in the run-up to Sunday’s elections. Will the Minister commit to doing all he can to support journalists who work for a genuinely free press in Serbia? Will he work to reverse the decision by the UK Government to cut 40% of funding for the western Balkans, given that more work is needed to support an independent media and not less?

My Lords, Kremlin-controlled RT Balkan and Sputnik Serbia, as well as constant intimidation of the free media, are making life extremely difficult for journalists in Serbia in the run-up to Sunday’s elections. Will the Minister commit to doing all he can to support journalists who work for a genuinely free press in Serbia? Will he work to reverse the decision by the UK Government to cut 40% of funding for the western Balkans, given that more work is needed to support an independent media and not less?

I thank the noble Baroness for that question. She is absolutely right that independent media are crucial in the region generally. It is an election season across the area—Serbia’s, as she says, is coming up this weekend. We are clear that we want a fair, transparent, peaceful and safe electoral process, conducted in line with Serbia’s laws and international democratic commitments. We are monitoring what happens carefully, alongside international partners including the OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights. We call on all political actors to respect the democratic process and the right of independent journalists to report on that process.

I thank the noble Baroness for that question. She is absolutely right that independent media are crucial in the region generally. It is an election season across the area—Serbia’s, as she says, is coming up this weekend. We are clear that we want a fair, transparent, peaceful and safe electoral process, conducted in line with Serbia’s laws and international democratic commitments. We are monitoring what happens carefully, alongside international partners including the OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights. We call on all political actors to respect the democratic process and the right of independent journalists to report on that process.

Vuçić is a close ally of Putin. He uses Putin as a role model for the way he conducts his politics. He is ruthless in the extreme in suppressing dissent in Serbia. We used to think of Serbia as a source of stability in the region, or at least we used to hope it was. Do the Government now accept that Serbia is a major source of instability in the region and that we need fundamentally to change our policy in the light of that fact?

Vuçić is a close ally of Putin. He uses Putin as a role model for the way he conducts his politics. He is ruthless in the extreme in suppressing dissent in Serbia. We used to think of Serbia as a source of stability in the region, or at least we used to hope it was. Do the Government now accept that Serbia is a major source of instability in the region and that we need fundamentally to change our policy in the light of that fact?

I thank the noble Lord for that. Serbia remains, in our view, an important regional partner. It has a decisive role in supporting security and stability in the western Balkans. It has a complicated relationship with Russia for energy dependency and other relationships, with China for economic investment—as the noble Baroness said earlier—and with the European Union, where it maintains military neutrality towards NATO but continues practical co-operation with it despite that. Serbia has a complex web of relationships with powers around the world, but it is a crucial partner for stability in the region, and we continue to engage with it on co-operation and democratic reform and insist on its responsibilities being observed towards Kosovo and Bosnia and Herzegovina.

I thank the noble Lord for that. Serbia remains, in our view, an important regional partner. It has a decisive role in supporting security and stability in the western Balkans. It has a complicated relationship with Russia for energy dependency and other relationships, with China for economic investment—as the noble Baroness said earlier—and with the European Union, where it maintains military neutrality towards NATO but continues practical co-operation with it despite that. Serbia has a complex web of relationships with powers around the world, but it is a crucial partner for stability in the region, and we continue to engage with it on co-operation and democratic reform and insist on its responsibilities being observed towards Kosovo and Bosnia and Herzegovina.

Can the Minister tell your Lordships a little more about what HMG are doing to counteract disinformation and propaganda in the West?

Can the Minister tell your Lordships a little more about what HMG are doing to counteract disinformation and propaganda in the West?

I thank the noble Baroness for that. We are doing a lot with allies in the region to respond to the threat from Russian hybrid activity in particular, including exposing the activities

of the Russian intelligence services, expelling intelligence officers here and sanctioning individuals. We are working with Governments and partners across the western Balkans to ensure that they have the tools: the FIMI tools and other tools. As the noble Baroness knows, the Prime Minister announced last month the setting up of a new national centre for information defence, which we hope will provide expertise that can also be shared with allies and partners in the region.

I thank the noble Baroness for that. We are doing a lot with allies in the region to respond to the threat from Russian hybrid activity in particular, including exposing the activities

of the Russian intelligence services, expelling intelligence officers here and sanctioning individuals. We are working with Governments and partners across the western Balkans to ensure that they have the tools: the FIMI tools and other tools. As the noble Baroness knows, the Prime Minister announced last month the setting up of a new national centre for information defence, which we hope will provide expertise that can also be shared with allies and partners in the region.

I agree with premise of the question from the noble Baroness, Lady Helic. I would add to this short debate that such influence is very effective in those countries. Does the Minister now think it is time to enhance our understanding of what Russia and China are doing through better intelligence, and to make it more of a priority for us to understand how they are undermining their own journey to European integration?

I agree with premise of the question from the noble Baroness, Lady Helic. I would add to this short debate that such influence is very effective in those countries. Does the Minister now think it is time to enhance our understanding of what Russia and China are doing through better intelligence, and to make it more of a priority for us to understand how they are undermining their own journey to European integration?

The noble and gallant Lord asks a good question. Is he asking specifically about Bosnia? I am not sure which country he is asking about, but in general, on intelligence, I know from my short time as a Minister that there is a huge focus on improving, strengthening and making more robust our intelligence—and sharing knowledge, as much as is consistent with the demands of secrecy, with other countries. We are doing a lot across government to improve our understanding of direct, hybrid and other threats from Russia, and the way in which Chinese economic influence is changing incentives for countries in the region, and that will have to continue.

The noble and gallant Lord asks a good question. Is he asking specifically about Bosnia? I am not sure which country he is asking about, but in general, on intelligence, I know from my short time as a Minister that there is a huge focus on improving, strengthening and making more robust our intelligence—and sharing knowledge, as much as is consistent with the demands of secrecy, with other countries. We are doing a lot across government to improve our understanding of direct, hybrid and other threats from Russia, and the way in which Chinese economic influence is changing incentives for countries in the region, and that will have to continue.

My Lords, last month, the former American ambassador to Bosnia and Herzegovina, Michael Murphy, said that the West’s approach to the region has failed. It is clear that Putin’s strategy in the Balkans is to sow division and stoke sectarian division to increase Russia’s influence. What assessment have Ministers made of the willingness of the United States to assist in reassessing our approach in the region to help roll back that Russian influence?

My Lords, last month, the former American ambassador to Bosnia and Herzegovina, Michael Murphy, said that the West’s approach to the region has failed. It is clear that Putin’s strategy in the Balkans is to sow division and stoke sectarian division to increase Russia’s influence. What assessment have Ministers made of the willingness of the United States to assist in reassessing our approach in the region to help roll back that Russian influence?

We work with the United States in the region. There are specific issues where we have discussions with the US continually—on the high representative issue, for example. We work with international partners; we support and complement the EU-led dialogue, and we engage with leaders in Kosovo, Serbia, Bosnia et cetera. We support local leaders on delivering processes to enhance security and stability, and we work with the United States to ensure that democracy and a Euro trajectory for the region as a whole continue to be an emphasis of partner states there.

We work with the United States in the region. There are specific issues where we have discussions with the US continually—on the high representative issue, for example. We work with international partners; we support and complement the EU-led dialogue, and we engage with leaders in Kosovo, Serbia, Bosnia et cetera. We support local leaders on delivering processes to enhance security and stability, and we work with the United States to ensure that democracy and a Euro trajectory for the region as a whole continue to be an emphasis of partner states there.

My Lords, can the Minister clarify our relationship with China in the light of the new sanction arrangements? Should we regard China as an adversary, as we do Russia, or as a powerful competitor?

My Lords, can the Minister clarify our relationship with China in the light of the new sanction arrangements? Should we regard China as an adversary, as we do Russia, or as a powerful competitor?

The size of China means that we have to engage with it with confidence, carefully, pragmatically and in a clear-eyed way, as my

noble friend knows. It means that we have to confront the full range of challenges that are posed by China, from espionage and cyber attacks to the emergence of organised crime. We also have to engage at the commercial and trade levels to ensure that we can be partners with China in areas of mutual economic interest.

The size of China means that we have to engage with it with confidence, carefully, pragmatically and in a clear-eyed way, as my

noble friend knows. It means that we have to confront the full range of challenges that are posed by China, from espionage and cyber attacks to the emergence of organised crime. We also have to engage at the commercial and trade levels to ensure that we can be partners with China in areas of mutual economic interest.

My Lords, will the Minister have time during his visit to Montenegro to investigate illicit financial flows, particularly from Russia? He will know that there have been substantial flows of illegal currency through Serbia and Montenegro. He may also know that George Cottrell claims that his wealth comes from casinos and cryptocurrency in Montenegro. The evidence of Russian money coming in as foreign interference in British politics therefore appears to be quite strong. Could he investigate further?

My Lords, will the Minister have time during his visit to Montenegro to investigate illicit financial flows, particularly from Russia? He will know that there have been substantial flows of illegal currency through Serbia and Montenegro. He may also know that George Cottrell claims that his wealth comes from casinos and cryptocurrency in Montenegro. The evidence of Russian money coming in as foreign interference in British politics therefore appears to be quite strong. Could he investigate further?

The noble Lord is right that there are definitely issues of illicit finance in some parts of the region, as well as sanctions evasion and tools to get around existing sanctions. As he knows, we have led the pack on sanctions and that remains a focus of mine and of the Government.

The noble Lord is right that there are definitely issues of illicit finance in some parts of the region, as well as sanctions evasion and tools to get around existing sanctions. As he knows, we have led the pack on sanctions and that remains a focus of mine and of the Government.

To ask His Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of Russian and Chinese influence in the Western Balkans, particularly in Serbia, in terms of defence, security and robotics.

To ask His Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of Russian and Chinese influence in the Western Balkans, particularly in Serbia, in terms of defence, security and robotics.

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, with reference to the answer of 20 March 2026, to Question 119947, on Money Laundering: Montenegro, whether any assessment has been made of whether laundered money from the West Balkans has entered the UK political system in the...

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, with reference to the answer of 20 March 2026, to Question 119947, on Money Laundering: Montenegro, whether any assessment has been made of whether laundered money from the West Balkans has entered the UK political system in the...