How the Trump Effect Reshaped Ukraine War Narratives in the Western Balkans Media

As the war in Ukraine grinds on, its portrayal in the media of the Western Balkans offers a window into how global events reverberate through local political and informational ecosystems. Between mid-2024 and early 2025, public narratives around the war across North Macedonia, Albania, and Bosnia & Herzegovina (BiH) generally aligned with Western positions—condemning Russian aggression and showing support for Ukraine. But this dynamic changed significantly after Donald Trump returned to the U.S. presidency in January 2025.

Pre-Trump Consensus (July 2024–January 19, 2025)

During the first phase, coverage across all three countries coalesced around a broadly pro-Western framing. In North Macedonia, 52% of war-related content highlighted Ukrainian resistance and sympathy for Kyiv; Albania registered a similar 53% pro-Ukraine share; and Bosnia & Herzegovina reached 42%. Equally prominent were anti-Russia narratives, which comprised 46 % of North Macedonian articles, 45% of Albanian pieces, and fully 50% in Bosnia. By contrast, pro-Russia voices remained marginal but still visible—22% in North Macedonia, 14% in Albania, and 18% in Bosnia—underscoring each country’s alignment with NATO and EU positions.

 

Chart 1: Pre-Trump period

Post-Trump Narrative Realignment (January 20–February 20, 2025)

Immediately following Trump’s inauguration, media discourse shifted dramatically—especially in North Macedonia, but with echoes in Bosnia & Herzegovina and a milder uptick even in Albania.

In North Macedonia, the focus shifted from battlefield developments to U.S. leadership: 50% of war stories took a pro-Trump angle, and another 42% expressed general pro-U.S. sentiment. Meanwhile, traditional pro-Ukraine and anti-Russia coverage collapsed—to near zero on the former and just 13% on the latter—revealing a near-complete reframing of the conflict as a question of American policy rather than Ukrainian fate.

Bosnian outlets displayed a more muted but still significant reorientation: pro-Trump narratives grew to 43% f war coverage, anti-Ukraine commentary rose to 20 %, and anti-Russia stories dipped to 36%. Generic pro-U.S. mentions remained low at 19%, reflecting Bosnia’s divided media landscape and the influence of Republika Srpska’s pro-Russian stance.

Even in Albania—where the pro-Ukraine/anti-Russia consensus had been strongest—the post-Trump period saw a modest increase in pro-Trump framing (rising to 36%) and stable pro-Ukraine (53%) and anti-Russia (46%) shares. However, discussions of U.S. internal politics never eclipsed Albania’s fundamental portrayal of the war.

 

Chart 2: Post-Trump period

When War Becomes a Mirror for Global Politics

This two-phase comparison illustrates that media narratives around distant conflicts depend not only on on-the-ground realities, but also on perceptions of who controls the global story. Prior to January 20, 2025, the Western Balkans exhibited remarkable consensus in condemning Russia and supporting Ukraine. Once Trump’s return signaled a potential shift in U.S. foreign policy, coverage—especially in North Macedonia—recast the war through the prism of American politics, sidelining the conflict’s humanitarian and strategic dimensions. Bosnia & Herzegovina followed more cautiously, while Albania maintained its pro-Western course.

This isn’t just a regional story. It’s a global one: when political leadership changes in Washington, the ripple effects can alter media narratives far beyond its borders—even changing how other countries perceive conflicts thousands of kilometers away.