North Macedonia and Russia: An Ambiguous Relationship

Despite proclaimed and actual good bilateral relations of the two “friendly countries and brotherly nations”, the lack of strategic determination and interest to commit to alliance beyond customary relations has contributed to a certain level of estrangement of both countries from one another. Russian actions were aligned predominantly with its aspirations to exert influence over and dominate the Balkan region in political terms, but then again North Macedonia has never been high on the Russian agenda as other countries in the region. In effect, North Macedonia has been going on and off the Russian radar, depending on developments in the global balance of powers, problems of regional context and severe internal distress.