© EPA/ RONALD WITTEK A fresh European plan for areas bordering the EU to the east will feature on the agenda of the European Commissioners’ assembly this month.
The Russian Federation’s conflict against Ukraine has precipitated a dramatic reduction in investments, a downturn in commercial and traveler exchanges, novel financial impediments, alongside employment deficits, along the EU’s eastern frontier. European Commission Executive Vice-President Raffaele Fitto articulated the necessity of reinforcing the EU’s eastern boundary in an article for Il Foglio.
Fitto points out that these adversities were frequently heightened by demands linked to sheltering Ukrainian evacuees and Russia and Belarus’ manipulation of migrant fluxes as instruments of hybrid conflict.
The demographic trends are possibly the most alarming. Younger inhabitants are departing, families display reluctance to remain, and essential amenities are becoming increasingly precarious. Supplying schooling, transit, and localized health assistance becomes more challenging when geopolitical uncertainty is layered atop pre-existing structural shortcomings.
According to Fitto, the recurrent theme from interactions with regional administrations, business owners, plus representatives of civic bodies in these territories was unambiguous: they are seeking “perspective” rather than “emergency” intervention.
“They implore not to be abandoned amid epochal transformations they did not initiate. The areas alongside the eastern boundary confront an unparalleled blend of crucial issues, yet they also encompass frequently underestimated advantages: adaptable human resources, environmental treasures, strategic positioning, potential for infrastructure serving dual security and public advancement roles. As such, during the mid-term evaluation of cohesion policies, we empowered Member States and regions with opportunities to reallocate funds from ongoing projects towards ventures aligning more closely with the evolved priorities. Predictably, numerous such regions have opted to prioritize endeavors pertaining to security, defense, as well as competitiveness,” Fitto conveys.
He further stated that the novel European blueprint for regions on the EU’s eastern border, to be reviewed at the College of Commissioners gathering on February 18, constitutes a subsequent measure in addressing the requirements of these locales, grounded in firsthand appraisals of conditions on the ground, tailored to specific demands — given that obstacles confronting border regions are independent of nationwide averages and defy resolution via conventional methods.
Fitto emphasized that the needs of Latgale in Latvia diverge from those of Finnish Karelia or Podlaskie Voivodeship within Poland. Nevertheless, these regions share identical geopolitical context: they constitute the European Union’s external edge, elevating the matter to a thoroughly political dimension.
The Eastward border regions are at the forefront of the EU’s safety, constancy, and trustworthiness. Their monetary and communal fortitude is inextricably connected to the security of the entire landmass, affirmed the Executive Vice-President within the European Commission.
“A weak border translates to a vulnerable one. A depopulating border signifies a deteriorating one. Thus, bolstering these regions extends beyond a demonstration of camaraderie; it embodies a tactical decision for Europe. It embodies securing citizens’ entitlement to reside in their chosen location. It embodies transforming the border from a vulnerability into a zone reflecting European unity. Russia’s hostile incursion into Ukraine persists, and concurrently, the imperative to reinforce Europe’s most susceptible points endures,” Fitto asserted.
“The regions spanning the eastern boundary are not merely the frontiers of individual Member States; they constitute the boundary of Europe. As such, they necessitate a concerted, ambitious, and enduring reaction. A robust and flourishing eastern boundary remains a prerequisite for safeguarding our entire continent,” he concluded.
It was earlier communicated that Poland intends to finalize the construction of a modern suite of anti-drone protections along its eastern periphery within a couple of years. This transpires amidst escalating security anxieties, notably following the intrusion of Russian drones into Polish air space. In addition to the anti-drone wall, Poland is actioning a strategy to reinforce its land boundaries neighboring Belarus and the Russian Federation’s Kaliningrad territory as part of the Eastern Shield venture.
During the past year, European Commissioner for Defense Andrius Kubilius remarked that, assuming the Russian Federation terminates its conflict against Ukraine through the execution of a peace accord — which the Kremlin continues to resist — the Ukrainian Armed Forces, distinguished as Europe’s most battle-tested army, should maintain a presence across the EU’s “border region,” encompassing the Baltics. Politico deemed this concept a distant prospect, largely due to the ongoing Russian offensive against Ukraine, and dictator Vladimir Putin’s apparent disinterest in negotiating for a war resolution. Simultaneously, Politico journalists concur that the expertise of the Ukrainian Defense Forces is invaluable for European countries.