Putin fueling regional tensions as Blinken arrives in Albania: 'bleak picture'

Secretary of State Antony Blinken is visiting NATO ally Albania to reaffirm the strong bond between the U.S. and Albania with tensions in the region at their worst in decades.

A senior diplomat with expert knowledge of the region told Fox News Digital that reliable sources allege that the probability of conflict in the Western Balkans this year is very high. Russian President Vladimir Putin and Serbian President Aleksandar Vučić have Kosovo, Bosnia, Montenegro and North Macedonia in their crosshairs. The U.S. most likely knows this, the diplomat claims, which explains why there are military assets build-ups, and the selling of military equipment to Kosovo.

"The risk of ethnic tensions escalating into an actual conflict in the Balkans is increasing. Russia and Serbia, neither of which have recognized Kosovo’s independence, appear to be involved in fueling instability in the region," Rebekah Koffler, a former defense intelligence analyst, told Fox News Digital.