Since the end of the Cold War, Serbia has stayed central in the Russia-West dynamic. The country has drawn on its cultural and religious bonds to Russia to keep a strong relationship with Moscow while also pursuing membership in the European Union. Over the past two years, however, Russia's influence in Serbia has grown noticeably. The number of Russian media outlets and nongovernmental organizations in the country has jumped from fewer than a dozen to more than 100 since 2015, according to the Belgrade-based Center for Euro-Atlantic Studies. Meanwhile, Russia and Serbia have flaunted their military connections in recent months. In November 2016, the Russian and Belarusian militaries held drills in Serbia to coincide with NATO exercises just across the border in Montenegro.