We have sent two questions to many researchers in Central, Eastern and Balkan Europe about the impact of the war in Ukraine on their respective political landscapes. In the first article in this series, three Albanian researchers responded and we publish their answers in their entirety.
The two questions were:
- What impact do you think the war in Ukraine is having on the political landscape in your country?
- What effect has this war had on perceptions of the European Union in your country, both among the general public and among the political elite?
Prof. Dr. Afrim Krasniqi, Institute for Political Studies (ISP), Institute of History/Academy of Sciences.
- What impact do you think the war in Ukraine is having on the political landscape in your country?
Albania is a small country in the global order, but as a non-permanent member of the UN Security Council for two consecutive years, its role, voice, and vote became interlinked with several aspects of the war in Ukraine. Consequently, the impact has been indirect in the political, defense, security, and social dimensions.
Politically, Albania has strongly condemned Russia’s aggression against Ukraine, aligning itself with the United States and the European Union and joining the sanctions against Russia. Moscow, in turn, has used the case of Kosovo as a threat and has supported pro-Russian narratives in the region, which indirectly undermine regional security and affect Albania as well.
As a result, Albania increased its investments in the defense sector. At the same time, the social impact has included restrictions on trade exchanges, price hikes for key goods imported from Ukraine, sanctions affecting Russia and other countries hit by the war’s consequences (including flour, wheat, and oil), as well as the reception and welcome accommodation of incoming refugees.
- What effect has this war had on perceptions of the European Union in your country, both among the general public and among the political elite?
The war has not significantly affected perceptions. Support for the European Union and for Albania’s EU accession process remains consistently high[1]. The 2025 Barometer revealed that Albania achieved the highest level of public support for the EU in the region, at 91%.
In Albania, there is no political party that is anti-EU, pro-Russian, or even neutral regarding the conflict in Ukraine; the country has maintained clear solidarity with Ukraine. On the other hand, the outbreak of the conflict triggered debate over whether the EU might shift its focus away from the Western Balkans and its enlargement perspective, prioritizing short-term geopolitical considerations over long-term strategic engagement.
However, the EU’s decision to open accession negotiations with Albania restored public confidence and enjoys broad political support. There is also a widespread belief that ending the war and achieving a lasting peace in Ukraine will ultimately serve the interests of the Western Balkans — including Albania.
Ervin Goci, University of Tirana.
- What impact do you think the war in Ukraine is having on the political landscape in your country?
Albania, being far away, has not directly felt the impact of the war in Ukraine, but nevertheless, being a country in the Balkans where Serbia is located, is the only country that has refused to impose sanctions on Russia, not simply out of any favor to Russia but more as a security partner that has supported the claims in violation of the territorial integrity of Kosovo, and Albania has been introduced into the puzzle of possible distortions to the detriment of security in the Balkans. The concerns of security analysts who list the Balkans on the list of possible conflict zones that have their source in the efforts in a broader plan to change the balance of power in the globe are very reasonable.
Certainly, the war in Ukraine has accelerated the process of integration into the EU, and this is purely for geopolitical reasons, although it remains to be seen how unified Europe will be in this demarche. Another aspect where the war in Ukraine seems to have had an impact is the awakening of the military industry, but for the moment it seems more like propaganda than something concrete, although there have been some movements.
A slightly strange thing worth mentioning is that in terms of domestic political life, there is no debate of views and positions regarding Albania’s stances or political actions in relation to the events in Ukraine. Albania seems more in a passive position than proactive in reaffirming its position on the international scene.
- What effect has this war had on perceptions of the European Union in your country, both among the general public and among the political elite?
I do not know of any survey conducted on the public’s attitude towards the EU in the context of the war, but political elites are somewhat easier to read because their activities and positions are in the public eye. Apart from opportunism to benefit financially from dubious and non-transparent tenders, I have not been able to detect any tendency to change the security architecture in the country. There is no talk of arming the country or returning to compulsory military service or security agreements, or joint exercises with other countries, or increasing military capacities, and there is no alarmism about the country’s security, more noticeable is the articulation from foreign partners of possible risks for Kosovo in the context of identifying Kosovo, together with Bosnia, as one of the potential fragile areas exposed to security risks by anti-NATO actors. As I mentioned above, in the internal debate there are no opposing or conflicting positions on how Albania should behave in turbulent times – the topics of debate are completely unimportant in relation to the country’s security.
Jordan JORGJI, Fan S. Noli University, Korçë, Albania
- What impact do you think the war in Ukraine is having on the political landscape in your country?
The war in Ukraine, which began with the Russian invasion on February 24, 2022, has had little to no impact on Albania’s political landscape. The main reason is that since their establishment in the early 1990s, Albania’s political parties have been created on pro-American and pro-EU foundations, and they continue to maintain those orientations. Even the newly established left-wing party Lëvizja Bashkë (The Movement Together) has not expressed any substantive stance on the Ukrainian conflict. Its only statement referred to what it called the unfair approach of the West toward the Ukrainian crisis and the disproportionate attention given to the casualties in the Middle East, particularly in Palestine. Moreover, the war’s impact remains limited when it comes to the potential U.S. and EU support for Albania’s ruling party in the name of regional stability. Conversely, the Socialist Party, which has been in power since 2013, continues to win elections primarily due to the prolonged internal crisis within the opposition Democratic Party.
- What effect has this war had on perceptions of the European Union in your country, both among the general public and among the political elite?
Without any comprehensive research conducted at the national level on public opinion, my assessment is based on numerous comments made on social media platforms such as Facebook and Instagram. I believe that the war in Ukraine has negatively influenced the perceptions of some Albanian citizens toward the European Union, not as an isolated factor but in combination with Donald Trump’s rhetoric on LGBTQ+ rights and his verbal attacks on Volodymyr Zelenskyy. In this context, Zelenskyy is often portrayed as a warmonger and a tool in the hands of EU elites, obstructing Trump’s supposed efforts to secure peace. Meanwhile, the main leaders of EU countries are perceived by some as promoters of the LGBTQ+ agenda. Consequently, Vladimir Putin is idealized as a defender of traditional society, seen as standing apart from what these individuals consider the “devaluation” of moral values linked to LGBTQ+ claims. Paradoxically, and contrary to the nationalist and anti-Serbian sentiments that are historically strong among some Albanians, this perception of Putin as the guardian of traditional values sometimes surpasses the anti-Slavic narrative, even though Russia has long been regarded as Serbia’s principal ally.
Conversely, the war has had the opposite effect on Albania’s political elite, which has always maintained strong pro-U.S. and pro-EU orientations. Since Washington and Brussels supported Ukraine from the very beginning, Albania’s political parties have also aligned with U.S.-EU policy. Tirana’s consistent stance and active diplomatic contacts with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky have been endorsed within the framework of NATO’s common policy, as Albania is a member state.
[1] https://www.eeas.europa.eu/delegations/albania/majority-eu-citizens-support-further-eu-enlargement-new-eurobarometer-survey-shows-while-perception_en