Relationship dossier
North Macedonia
Russia
Relationship assessment
Relations marked by diplomatic friction over NATO, Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and North Macedonia’s alignment with Western measures
North Macedonia toward Russia
-35North Macedonia has expelled Russian diplomats, including in 2018 and after Russia’s 2022 invasion of Ukraine. Its government has aligned with Western measures against Russia, contributing to strained bilateral relations.
Russia toward North Macedonia
-40Russia has criticized North Macedonia’s NATO alignment and Western policy, and included North Macedonia among states it considers unfriendly following sanctions against Russia.
Overall relationship
-35The relationship has formal diplomatic ties but is substantially shaped by North Macedonia’s NATO membership and alignment with measures against Russia, alongside Russian criticism and retaliatory diplomatic positioning. The known record points to recurring friction rather than a close bilateral partnership.
How to read these scores
Scores are rough judgments, not objective measurements or current verification. Directional scores describe government policy and conduct, not public opinion. The overall score is an independent estimate, never an average.
- −100
- Extreme sustained hostility
- −50
- Substantially adversarial
- 0
- Mixed or neutral, supported by knowledge
- +50
- Substantially cooperative
- +100
- Exceptionally close sustained partnership
“Not assessed” means there is no recorded score. Pair existence makes no claim about diplomatic recognition or established relations.
Relationship context
Overview
North Macedonia and Russia have had diplomatic relations, but relations have been strained by North Macedonia’s NATO membership and alignment with measures against Russia. North Macedonia has expelled Russian diplomats, including after Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine, and Russia has criticized North Macedonia’s alignment with Western policy and included it among states it considers unfriendly. These actions indicate recurring friction, though the breadth of bilateral engagement is unclear.
Areas of tension
- North Macedonia’s NATO membership and alignment with Western security policy
- North Macedonia’s alignment with measures against Russia following the invasion of Ukraine
- Expulsions of Russian diplomats by North Macedonia
- Russia’s designation of North Macedonia as an unfriendly state
Key developments
North Macedonia expelled a Russian diplomat amid international responses to the poisoning of Sergei Skripal in the United Kingdom.
North Macedonia joined NATO.
North Macedonia expelled Russian diplomats after Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine.
Russia included North Macedonia among the states it considers unfriendly following sanctions against Russia.
Major uncertainties
- The scope of ongoing bilateral cooperation outside security and diplomatic disputes is unclear.
- The extent and implementation of North Macedonia’s measures restricting economic ties with Russia are unclear.