Carnegie Endowment for International Peace
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The European Political Community aims to draw EU’s neighbors into its orbit while leaving enough room to accelerate European integration. Doubts remain over the new platform’s ability to overcome the harsh political realities that sunk similar initiatives over the years.
Unlike Ukraine and Moldova who have been given candidate status, Georgia has been offered a much weaker offer of EU membership perspective. Despite the best efforts of the country’s protestors, the Georgian dream government is unlikely to back down and meet these demands any time soon.
The war in Ukraine has given impetus to a new round of EU enlargement. Concerns about corruption, stagnation, and democratic backsliding tendencies may hamper the union's response but engagement with Ukraine, Moldova, and Georgia must be sustained.
The international order has never been tidy or complete, always having lands with contested sovereignty. Yet the breakdown of empires is the most common catalyst for producing new aspirant states.
Europe’s commitment to the Eastern Partnership region has been cemented by Russian aggression. Yet, for internal reasons, the EU is trying to avoid the costs linked to the countries’ integration.
The recent deal sealed with Russia over Transnistria is an example of the EU at its best, operating as a technocratic normative actor and letting trade lead geopolitics.
The EU needs to realize that its neighborhood policy is a political not a technical tool, operating in a politicized environment where major conflicts take place.
Moldova has become part of a geostrategic competition between Brussels and Moscow. Russia will be determined not to let the country slip away from its influence.
Two decades after the debate about NATO enlargement pitted “NATO-firsters” against “Russia-firsters,” both sides have had reasons to say, “I told you so.” And they did.
Russia and the European Union are competing intensely for influence in Ukraine, Belarus, Moldova, Georgia, Armenia, Azerbaijan, and other countries.