The Atlantic Council Europe Center‘s #BalkansDebrief series features timely conversations on key issues impacting the Western Balkans.

Nonresident senior fellow Ilva Tare hosts newsmakers, experts, and officials for discussions on rule of law, energy security, cultural heritage, Russian and Chinese influence in the region, and more.

Watch #BalkansDebrief on YouTube and listen to it as a Podcast.

#BalkansDebrief Episodes

Balkans Debrief

Dec 30, 2025

Will Kurti’s 4th victory reshape Kosovo’s foreign relations? | A Debrief with Yll Sadiku

Ilva Tare and Yll Sadiku break down the results of Kosovo’s election and the foreign policy implications of Albin Kurti’s victory on December 28, 2025.

Elections
Europe & Eurasia

Balkans Debrief

Dec 23, 2025

One year of Trump 2.0 for the Western Balkans | A Debrief with Europe Center experts

In this special #BalkansDebrief, Ilva Tare sits down with five Europe Center experts to discuss the major US policy developments toward the Balkans in 2025 and what to expect in 2026.

Economy & Business
Europe & Eurasia

Balkans Debrief

Nov 11, 2025

Is Kosovo heading toward another election crisis? | A Debrief with Adriatik Kelmendi

Ilva Tare from the Atlantic Council’s Europe Center speaks with Adriatik Kelmendi to discuss Kosovo’s election deadlock nine months after national elections.

Elections
Europe & Eurasia

Balkans Debrief

Oct 29, 2025

The Hague vs. KLA leaders: Justice or tragedy? | A Debrief with James Rubin

Ilva Tare, Atlantic Council Senior Fellow, speakers with James Rubin about the Hashim Thaci war crimes trial in The Hague.

Democratic Transitions
Europe & Eurasia

Balkans Debrief

Oct 22, 2025

Can Serbia survive US sanctions on Russian oil? | A Debrief with Igor Novaković

Atlantic Council Senior Fellow Ilva Tare speaks with Igor Novakovic from ISAC Fund on the new US sanctions on Serbia’s NIS.

Europe & Eurasia
Financial Sanctions and Economic Coercion
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MEET THE #BALKANSDEBRIEF HOST

Fellow

Ilva Tare

Resident Senior Fellow

Europe Center

Albanian English

The Europe Center promotes leadership, strategies, and analysis to ensure a strong, ambitious, and forward-looking transatlantic relationship.

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Content

Balkans Debrief

Apr 11, 2023

#BalkansDebrief – What’s next after Bulgarian elections? | A Debrief with Dimitar Bechev

Nonresident Senior Fellow Ilva Tare speaks with Dimitar Bechev, Lecturer at Oxford School of Global and Area Studies on implications of another caretaker government for Bulgaria's economic and European outlooks.

The Balkans

Balkans Debrief

Mar 17, 2023

#BalkansDebrief – What challenges faces the Kosovo/Serbia agreement | Debrief with Jovana Radosavljevic and Visar Ymeri 

Nonresident Senior Fellow Ilva Tare speaks with Jovana Radosavljevic, Executive Director of the New Social Initiative, and Visar Ymeri, Executive Director of the Institute for Social Policy "Musine Kokalari," to discuss the challenges of implementing a proposed agreement for normalizing relations between Kosovo and Serbia and the expectations for the upcoming Ohrid Summit on March 19.

The Balkans

Balkans Debrief

Mar 3, 2023

#BalkansDebrief – Is a deal on normalization between Kosovo & Serbia possible? | A debrief with Miroslav Lajčák 

Nonresident Senior Fellow Ilva Tare speaks with Miroslav Lajčák, EU Special Representative for the Belgrade-Pristina Dialogue and other Western Balkan regional issues, on this episode of #BalkansDebrief about the latest meeting in Brussels, details of the EU brokered plan, implementation of any future agreement, and the path forward.

The Balkans

Balkans Debrief

Feb 22, 2023

#BalkansDebrief – What is the future for Kosovo Serbs in the north? | A Debrief with Tatjana Lazarevic 

Nonresident Senior Fellow Ilva Tare interviews Tatjana Lazarevic, the Editor-in-Chief of the KoSSev news portal and a resident of the Kosovo Serb-majority city of Mitrovica in the north of Kosovo.

The Balkans

Balkans Debrief

Feb 8, 2023

#BalkansDebrief – How can Bulgaria and North Macedonia overcome their differences? | A debrief with Petar Todorov

Nonresident Senior Fellow Ilva Tare interviews Petar Todorov, a historian and a member of the Bilateral Multidisciplinary Expert Commission for Historical and Educational questions between Republic of North Macedonia and Republic of Bulgaria.

The Balkans

Balkans Debrief

Jan 25, 2023

#BalkansDebrief – How can investment drive regional prosperity? | A debrief with Diana Gligorijevic and Mergim Cahani

Nonresident Senior Fellow Ilva Tare interviews Diana Gligorijevic, the co-founder of Telegroup Solutions, an IT Provider and telecommunication company in Serbia, and Mergim Cahani, the co-founder and the CEO of Gjirafa, about the role of investment in driving positive change in the Balkans.

The Balkans

Balkans Debrief

Jan 11, 2023

#BalkansDebrief – Will relations between Kosovo and Serbia normalize?| A debrief with Tim Judah

Nonresident Senior Fellow Ilva Tare interviews Tim Judah, a journalist and author, in this episode of #BalkansDebrief about the role played by the Serbian President and the Prime Minister of Kosovo in reaching a normalization agreement acceptable to both parties.

The Balkans

Balkans Debrief

Dec 21, 2022

#BalkansDebrief – Will the regional crises turn into opportunities? | A debrief with Maja Piscevic and Damir Marusic

Nonresident Senior Fellow Ilva Tare interviews Maja Piscevic, Nonresident Senior Fellow, and Damir Marusic, Senior Fellow with the Atlantic Council's Europe Center on the high and low points of the year and challenges ahead.

The Balkans

Balkans Debrief

Dec 14, 2022

#BalkansDebrief – Why should the EU speed up the integration process in the Western Balkans? | A debrief with Paul Taylor

Nonresident Senior Fellow Ilva Tare interviews Paul Taylor, Senior Fellow for Peace, Security and Defence at Friends of Europe, on the outcomes of the EU-Western Balkans summit.

The Balkans

Balkans Debrief

Nov 2, 2022

#BalkansDebrief – What challenges do the Western Balkans face after the Berlin Process? | A debrief with Milan Nič

Nonresident Senior Fellow Ilva Tare interviews Milan Nic, Senior Fellow at the German Council on the Foreign Relations, on the upcoming Berlin Process summit.

The Balkans
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