Republika Srpska is Russia's main bridgehead in the Balkans. To maintain it, Moscow is interested in keeping Bosnia and Herzegovina in a permanent crisis, and the Bosnian Serb leader, Milorad Dodik, is happy to oblige.
Pro-Kremlin propaganda claims that Moldova’s EU accession would collapse the EU economy, conveniently ignoring the fact that Moldova’s economy amounts to just 0.1% of the EU’s.
Bosnia and Herzegovina will start EU accession negotiations 30 years after the end of the civil war. The country has made little progress since, and the Serbs – backed by the Russians – are threatening secession.
The Western Balkans appear to be playing an increasingly important role in Russia's plans. Through its leverage in the region, Moscow is able to generate enough problems that require the attention of the West and diminish its ability to manage crises elsewhere - for example in the former Soviet Union.