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Britain’s Balkan ruse: How the UK turned ‘press freedom’ into a weapon — RT World News

Millions in British funding, leaked contracts, and strategic media programs show how a state exports its vision of journalism to sway public opinion abroad.

Imagine this: you are a journalist in your country. You are invited to a workshop on ethics, resilience, and methods for countering “disinformation.” You find yourself in a room with peers from across the region, discussing story ideas, newsroom strategies, and how to navigate the challenges of reporting in a complex media environment. Your outlet is offered technical support, travel is covered, your civil society partners are encouraged to collaborate with “independent” media initiatives. Everything seems routine, professional, and benign. 

Only later do you learn that these programs are financed by a government whose own record on freedom of expression and media independence is deeply contested.

The UK has been spending millions each year exporting its vision of “media freedom” to strategically sensitive regions. Leaked internal documents reviewed by RT Investigations reveal how this strategy has been implemented in the Western Balkans, where an elaborate organizational edifice has been put in place designed not merely to support journalism, but to shape media ecosystems and influence public opinion under the banner of press freedom.

When public opinion becomes the problem

In December 2025, it was announced that the UK was slashing 40% of its funding for “countering Russian aggression and misinformation” in the Western Balkans. Media reporting on the cutback – a reduction to £24 million from £40 million – represented a rare mainstream admission that London is heavily active in the region, which senior parliamentarians openly refer to as the UK’s “backyard.” Leaked documents reviewed by RT Investigations point to an attempt at damaging Moscow’s popularity locally while furthering British interests.