Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask Her Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to guarantee (1) security, and (2) stability, in the Western Balkans in light of Russia's invasion of Ukraine.

Russia's unprovoked, premeditated attack against the sovereign democratic state of Ukraine has heightened the risk of miscalculation or exploitation in the Western Balkans region. We will not allow Russia to use the region as a theatre for provocation or distraction. We are working closely with our NATO Allies, including the US and other European partners, to support security and stability across the region. We are using our programme funds to increase resilience against malign activity such as state-sponsored cyber-attacks, and we are deepening economic ties. In Bosnia and Herzegovina (BiH), we support the recent increase in personnel deployed as part of the Operation ALTHEA peace stabilisation force, and we are reviewing a range of restrictive measures, including sanctions and greater conditionality of international assistance to ensure stability in BiH. While Russia continues to violate international law, human rights and multiple commitments to peace and security, we will work with our allies and partners across the multilateral system to condemn Russia's appalling actions and to isolate it on the international stage.