Putin fueling regional tensions as Blinken arrives in Albania: 'bleak picture'

Secretary of State Antony Blinken arrived in Tirana on Thursday to reinforce Albania’s critical role in U.S. foreign policy amid the most turbulent time in the Balkans in decades.

"This is really a stop that is going to focus on the future, the future of Albania, the future of the Western Balkans," Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for Europe and Eurasian Affairs Yuri Kim said at a State Department briefing previewing the upcoming visit to Albania and Germany.

A senior diplomat with expert knowledge of the region told Fox News Digital that reliable sources allege that the probability of conflict in the Western Balkans this year is very high. Russian President Vladimir Putin and Serbian President Aleksandar Vučić have Kosovo, Bosnia, Montenegro and North Macedonia in their crosshairs. The U.S. most likely knows this, the diplomat claims, which explains why there are military assets build-ups, and the selling of military equipment to Kosovo.

ZELENSKYY WARNS RUSSIA WANTS TO CAUSE 'EXPLOSION' IN THE BALKANS

"The risk of ethnic tensions escalating into an actual conflict in the Balkans is increasing. Russia and Serbia, neither of which have recognized Kosovo’s independence, appear to be involved in fueling instability in the region," Rebekah Koffler, a former defense intelligence analyst, told Fox News Digital.

Blinken is meeting with Prime Minister Edi Rama and will reaffirm the strength of the United States’ relations with Albania, a key partner for stability in the Western Balkans and a firm ally in supporting Ukraine’s sovereignty in its war against Russia.

It has been a particularly rocky period for the Western Balkans, and many observers in the region believe the region is once again a tinderbox ready to ignite.

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