US Energy Push In Western Balkans Sparks Tension with Brussels

(Rikard Jozwiak – RFE/RL) Since US President Donald Trump took office last year, Washington and Brussels have clashed over trade, support for Ukraine, and military spending. Now there’s a new battleground: the Western Balkans. Uniquely positioned at the intersection of EU and US interests, as well as Russian and Chinese influence, countries in the region have caught the eye of the world’s superpowers, kicking off a race to capitalize on their emerging status, vulnerability, and weak economies. Nowhere is that more evident that in recent deals by US investors into energy projects in Albania, Croatia, and Bosnia-Herzegovina, countries that are looking to end their dependence on Russian supplies. – US Energy Push In Western Balkans Sparks Tension with Brussels