Leaders from six Western Balkan nations—Albania, Bosnia, Kosovo, Montenegro, North Macedonia, and Serbia—are set to meet with British and European officials in London on Wednesday. The summit, part of the Berlin Process initiated in 2014, aims to address critical issues such as migration, security, and economic growth in a region marked by volatility and Russian influence. Despite Croatia being the only Western Balkan nation to join the EU in 2013, progress for others has stalled, with Serbia and Kosovo particularly at odds over the latter’s independence. The EU’s renewed openness to expansion following Russia’s 2022 invasion of Ukraine has heightened concerns that the conflict could spill over into the Balkans, a region still recovering from its own historical conflicts. The UK, despite its 2020 exit from the EU, is hosting the summit, emphasizing its commitment to curbing unauthorized migration and bolstering regional defenses against Moscow’s interference. British Prime Minister Keir Starmer’s government is prioritizing efforts to tackle the drug trade and reduce migration flows, with gangs smuggling hundreds of thousands of people to the EU via the Western Balkans. The UK has already seen success in reducing Albanian migration through a joint task force and is now seeking to establish ‘return hubs’ for rejected asylum-seekers, though Albania and Montenegro have expressed reluctance to host such facilities. Montenegro’s Prime Minister Milojko Spajic suggested his country might consider a hub if the UK invests €10 billion in railway infrastructure.