Small-state strategic resilience in NATO’s southeastern flank: A conceptual and comparative analysis of Albania and Kosovo

Abstract Hybrid threats, cyberattacks and geopolitical interference are increasingly challenging NATO’s southeastern flank. Despite this, resilience research tends to focus more on the alliance’s northern and eastern areas. The Western Balkans, which are highly vulnerable to hybrid pressure and strategically located along the Mediterranean–Central Europe corridor, often receive insufficient attention. This article introduces an integrated framework that combines Deterrence Theory, Resilience Theory and Regional Security Complex Theory (RSCT) to demonstrate how small countries such as Albania and Kosovo strengthen NATO’s resilience, even with limited military capabilities. By comparing governance, cyber resilience and strategic position, it highlights how these countries serve as resilience boosters within NATO’s southeastern region. The study identifies a notable gap in current research. It emphasises that understanding how small states in the Western Balkans build resilience is crucial to improving NATO’s deterrence and combating hybrid threats. It ends with a conceptual model of small-state strategic resilience that can be applied both locally and across the broader alliance.