EU Adopts a Strategy to Support States Bordering Russia, Belarus and Ukraine

On Wednesday, February 18, the Board of the European Commission adopted a comprehensive strategy to strengthen support for the eastern regions of the EU, which share borders with Russia, Belarus and Ukraine. This was announced by Raffaele Fitto, Executive Vice-President of the European Commission, according to eurointegration.com.ua. The European Commission has decided to increase support for the eastern regions that border Ukraine, Belarus, or Russia. “The EU has more than 3,500 kilometers of land borders with Russia and Belarus, almost 1,500 kilometers with Ukraine, and 600 kilometers bordering the Black Sea basin, which is also shared with Ukraine and Russia. This document addresses the specific challenges faced by people and communities in these regions,” Fitto said. He stated that for these border regions, more than for any other in Europe, “there is a clear ‘before’ and ‘after’ of February 24, 2022”. “Since the outbreak of the war, places that were once created for normal daily life, cross-border shopping, and tourism are now being used for security, dual-use activities, logistics, drones, and emergency support,” the European Commissioner added. According to him, many communities are facing a combination of increased danger, weaker economic activity, and a demographic decline. The European Commission is proposing measures in five priority areas, combining cohesion policies with other EU instruments. 1) Security and resilience: plans to protect critical infrastructure and improve military mobility. 2) Growth and regional prosperity: the creation of East Invest, a special financial mechanism for providing additional funds to the regions. 3) Leveraging local strengths: innovation, energy solutions, bioeconomy, and new value chains. 4) Connectivity: focus on transport, energy, and digital connections within the EU and with partners. 5) People: quality services, education, healthcare, youth support, and community readiness.