Newton opened the seminar by contextualising Southeast Europe’s role in Russia’s broader confrontation with the West. She emphasised that the region represents a "grey zone" in European security, where external interventions by both Russia and the West remain possible. This grey zone is of strategic importance to Russia, as it seeks to undermine Western cohesion while preserving its influence through populist and illiberal allies in countries like Serbia and Hungary. At the same time, the region presents challenges for the West, as vulnerabilities in governance and societal frustration make it fertile ground for populism and external manipulation.
Newton highlighted Russia’s mid-term goals, including neutralising threats emanating from Ukraine, reshaping European security to deter NATO, and shifting the global balance of power away from Western dominance toward a Russia-China-led alternative. She argued that the Southeast region will remain a dynamic battleground in this larger geopolitical conflict.
