The European Commission on February 18 adopted what it described as a “comprehensive strategy” to step up support for EU regions bordering Russia, Belarus and Ukraine, saying bolstering their resilience was both a matter of solidarity and a strategic investment in Europe’s security.

It focuses on eastern border regions in nine member states - Finland, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, Slovakia, Hungary, Romania and Bulgaria - which Brussels says have been disproportionately affected by Russia’s 2022 invasion of Ukraine and its aftermath.

“These are not only national borders. They are European borders,” Executive Vice-President Raffaele Fitto said in remarks accompanying the strategy. “They are the eastern frontier of the European Union. And what happens there concerns all European.”

The EU has more than 3,500 km of land borders with Russia and Belarus and almost 1,500 km with Ukraine, as well as 600 km along the maritime Black Sea basin shared with Ukraine and Russia. According to the Commission, communities along these frontiers face “a combination of higher insecurity, weaker economic activity and demographic decline”. 

“For these regions, more than anywhere else in Europe, there is a clear before and after 24 February 2022,” Fitto said, referring to the date Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine.

Since then, he said, “places that were once built for normal daily life — for cross-border shopping and tourism — are now used for security, dual-use activities, logistics, drones and emergency support.” At the same time, “trade patterns have shifted; growth has slowed; inflation has been higher; depopulation pressures have intensified.”

The Commission said strengthening prosperity and resilience in these areas “is not only an expression of EU solidarity in the wake of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, but also a strategic investment in Europe’s security, competitiveness, and future stability.”

Priority areas

The Communication sets out actions across five priority areas: security and resilience; growth and regional prosperity; building on local strengths; connectivity; and people.

On security, the Commission plans to develop what it calls the Eastern Flank Watch, alongside initiatives such as a European Drone Defence initiative, a European Air Shield and a European Space Shield. It also proposes creating a network of practitioners to enhance preparedness and encourage cross-border resilience cluster cooperation.

“A clear message emerged: security and defence are a precondition, but regions also need investment, services, connectivity and economic prospects,” Fitto said.

On economic development, the Commission said it would facilitate access to funding through a new EastInvest facility, bringing together the European Investment Bank Group, other international financial institutions and national and regional promotional banks to provide lending and advisory support.

A declaration launching the EastInvest Facility is due to be signed by financial institutions on Feb. 26, 2026, at the first annual high-level political dialogue dedicated to eastern border regions.

The Commission will also cooperate with the World Bank under the Catching-up Regions Initiative to “boost economic development in the most affected areas.”

Energy, hydrogen and connectivity

In the area of energy and industrial development, Brussels said it would prioritise the Baltic states’ electricity integration with European networks and support cross-border hydrogen infrastructure, including the Nordic-Baltic Hydrogen Corridor.

The strategy also foresees backing circular-industry initiatives such as industrial symbiosis valleys and regional bioeconomy hubs.

On connectivity, the Commission aims to promote digital links and upgrade transport networks, including dual-use roads, rail and port infrastructure, as well as cross-border connections with Ukraine and Moldova.

It will also address depopulation and labour shortages through education-to-employment pathways and seek to strengthen communities through the Media Resilience Programme and efforts to combat disinformation.

In the Commission’s words, supporting these regions “is therefore not only technical, but a political responsibility.”

Fitto said the Communication “is neither a starting point nor the end of a process, but an important political step,” describing it as the result of missions to the border regions, consultations with national and local authorities, stakeholder meetings and a dedicated conference in Poland.

“Reaching these places is not easy, but it means truly understanding the reality faced by the communities living there,” he said, adding that he had met “citizens, local actors and those directly affected by the new security and economic situation.”

“The Communication is built with the territories, starting from their lived experience,” he said.

The overarching demand from these areas, he added, was simple: “In short: they ask for the right to stay - the possibility to live and work where they belong.”

According to the Commission, eastern member states have experienced slower growth, a decline in investment, depopulation, labour shortages and higher security costs since Russia’s invasion. The mid-term review of EU cohesion policy in 2025 provided additional resources, and proposals for the next EU budget for 2028-2034 earmark funding specifically for eastern border regions.