UK Slashes Aid to Western Balkans, Raising Security Concerns

Published: 21 December 2025. The English Chronicle Desk. The English Chronicle Online.

The UK government’s decision to cut overseas aid has led to a 40% reduction in funding aimed at countering Russian aggression and disinformation in the western Balkans, a region Prime Minister Keir Starmer has described as vital to the nation’s security. The Integrated Security Fund (ISF), which supports efforts to tackle high-priority threats to UK national security both domestically and abroad, will see funding for the western Balkans drop from £40 million last year to £24 million for 2025-26.

The western Balkans, including Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Kosovo, Montenegro, North Macedonia, and Serbia, has increasingly been regarded as a geopolitical hotspot where Russia is accused of fomenting instability, undermining democratic institutions, and influencing media narratives. Starmer previously called the region “Europe’s crucible – the place where the security of our continent is put to the test,” underlining its strategic significance.

Last year, ISF allocations were used to counter cyber-attacks, strengthen democratic institutions, and support independent media across the region. The recent funding cuts appear to stem from Starmer’s broader policy of reducing Official Development Assistance (ODA) for low- and middle-income countries, a transition aimed at lowering ODA from 0.5% of gross national income to 0.3% by 2027. Under this framework, ODA for the western Balkans will fall from £31.91 million in 2024-25 to £17 million in 2025-26, with an additional £1.15 million reduction in non-ODA support.

Emily Thornberry, chair of the Foreign Affairs Select Committee and former shadow foreign secretary, criticised the reductions, emphasizing the region’s vulnerability to Russian interference. “I visited the western Balkans earlier this month. It is quite clear they are on the frontline of the fight against Russian disinformation and interference, and I am very proud of the work the UK is doing to support them in that fight—for their security and all of Europe’s. More work is needed to support independent media, not less. People are hungry to learn the truth, and it’s very difficult to find it,” she said.

Experts working in the region echoed these concerns. Dr Kate Ferguson, co-executive director at Protection Approaches, an NGO focused on preventing identity-based violence, stressed the UK’s previous record as a trusted actor in the western Balkans. She warned that the cuts risk undermining the country’s influence at a critical moment. “The national security strategy rightly recognises that we are in a period of intensifying strategic competition for the rules and governance of our world; in Europe we see this as Russia diversifies its efforts to undermine our democratic consensus. It is essential then that our Foreign Office is properly and appropriately resourced to meet these growing threats to democracy and our collective safety,” Ferguson said.

She added that the UK’s leadership in the western Balkans had been principled and effective, but this approach could be weakened if funding is reduced, especially as new forms of Russian aggression and malign influence continue to expand. “Now, as new forms of Russian aggression and malign influence deepen in the region, this leadership must be bolstered—and not watered down,” she warned.

The new head of MI6, Blaise Metreweli, recently described Russia as “aggressive, expansionist and revisionist, seeking to subjugate Ukraine and harass Nato,” highlighting the rising risks to European security. He added that the UK currently exists in “a space between peace and war,” emphasizing the delicate balance in the region and the need for sustained attention.

Shelagh Daley, policy team lead at Saferworld, an NGO operating in the western Balkans, described the funding cuts as part of a wider deprioritization of conflict prevention and peacebuilding. “This reflects what we are seeing as a wider trend in ISF and other UK foreign aid spending amid the cuts. It appears to be a deprioritisation of work on conflict prevention and peacebuilding, even as conflict has increased globally, societies have become more divided, and basic freedoms are being curtailed. It doesn’t seem coherent or strategic to be pulling away from programming that aims to address the causes of conflict and fragility at a time when the risks to global security are so high,” Daley said.

A government spokesperson responded by highlighting that the ISF funds are only one part of the UK’s overall investment in the western Balkans, which also addresses organised crime and hostile state activity. They added that the fund is designed to adapt to evolving national security priorities and often supports short-term projects, meaning spending decisions are subject to change as threats emerge.

Despite the government’s assurances, the cuts have generated concern among policymakers and civil society actors alike, who stress the urgent need for continued investment in regional stability. Many argue that reducing support now could embolden malign actors and hinder the development of independent media and democratic institutions, potentially destabilising a region already vulnerable to external influence.

Observers note that the timing of the cuts is particularly sensitive given ongoing tensions in the Balkans and wider Europe. With Russia increasingly active in information warfare and political interference, the UK’s role in supporting local resilience, monitoring disinformation campaigns, and strengthening governance structures remains crucial. Critics suggest that withdrawing funding at this juncture risks undermining years of progress and could leave the western Balkans exposed to greater instability.

Analysts also caution that the funding reductions could send a message to other partners in Europe that the UK is deprioritising its engagement in critical security matters. As the Integrated Security Fund continues to be reshaped, questions arise over whether the UK can maintain its strategic influence in the region without sufficient resources to counter emerging threats.

Overall, the decision has sparked debate over the balance between domestic fiscal priorities and international security commitments. While the government frames the cuts as part of a planned adjustment to ODA spending, critics insist that they could weaken the UK’s ability to prevent conflict, counter malign influence, and uphold democratic norms in a key European region. The coming months will reveal how these changes affect both the western Balkans and the UK’s broader strategic objectives.