THE INFLUENCE OF RUSSIA (PERMANENT MEMBER OF THE UNITED NATIONS SECURITY COUNCIL) ON THE THREAT TO WORLD PEACE AND SECURITY-WITH SPECIAL FOCUS ON THE WESTERN BALKANS
Authors: NUHIU Qani 
Published: October 2024

The United Nations Organization is a global organization emerging from the aftermath of the Second World War, which, according to the Organization's Charter, its main purpose is the preservation of peace and security in the world; the development of friendly relations between nations; achieving international cooperation for solving economic, social, cultural humanitarian problems, etc. and the intention that the UN itself becomes a center for harmonizing actions to achieve common goals. The Security Council is the body that within the Organization has the main and direct responsibility for maintaining global peace and security. In the framework of the Security Council, the permanent members are the countries with the most political and diplomatic influence in the world, but at the same time they have the greatest responsibility for the implementation of the provisions of the UN Charter. The behavior of these states is of essential importance for world peace. Often the member states of the Security Council, due to their interests, not only do not adhere to the main principles when it comes to preventing any member state from jeopardizing stability and peace by protecting the interests of certain aggressor states, but it also happens that with provocation and direct participation in wars and armed conflicts endanger world peace. From the founding of the UN to today, the most blatant case of starting a very dangerous war conflict is Russia. Precisely because of this fact, in this paper the object of research will be Russia, which uses the position of a permanent member of the Security Council, not only for the protection of its political interests, but also by participating in armed conflicts and by declaring war on sovereign states. Since the end of the Second World War, and especially during the Cold War, but also after 2008, Russia has either participated in many armed conflicts or caused them. Objectively, within the framework of this research, it is impossible to include all cases, therefore we will focus only on the Russian influence and endangering peace in the Western Balkans. The paper deals with the indirect and direct Russian influence in some of the countries of the Western Balkans, emphasizing the concrete circumstances and characteristics of each country in particular. For this research, the professional literature, the most relevant international juridical act, the media that inform about actual events in Russia is a direct destabilizing factor, etc. The research relies mainly on the method of analysis of juridical acts, defense doctrines highlighted above, facts of real political events, diplomatic disputes and military conflicts. Based on the analyzed information, we come to the conclusion of research results, conclusions and suggestions for the future political, military, economic, development measures that should be taken by the international community, including NATO, EU, OSCE and other international organizations in which democratic and peacekeeping states adhere, with the aim of maintaining peace, stability and preventing Russia from extending its influence to a dominant size, since as an authoritarian state that it is, as a result, there would be various long-term wars and conflicts in the Western Balkans.