Barely a month after Georgian Dream declared victory in a contested and undemocratic election, Georgia’s European future hangs by a thread. The EU must act decisively to prevent its slide towards Moscow
Bulgaria’s latest election is part of a regional pattern of voting irregularities, Russian disinformation, and the rise of anti-system parties, pressuring the EU’s efforts to protect democracy in its eastern neighborhood
Moldova’s two upcoming elections will shape its EU ascension trajectory; but Russian interference threatens its democratic process. Moldova and EU policymakers should now collaborate to combat voter bribery and disinformation, especially in its Russian-speaking regions
Moldova’s recent local elections faced unprecedented levels of Russian interference. In the lead up to the presidential election next year, the EU should help Moldova counter these threats before it’s too late
Over the past year, Moldova has rid itself of Russian gas supplies. But it still receives electricity from the Russian-sponsored breakaway region of Transnistria. Ending this final dependency would bolster Moldova’s security – and Europe’s
Western sponsors of the dialogue between Pristina and Belgrade are wrong to believe Serbia will work to make a success of diplomacy
Putin may be bluffing about the deployment of tactical nuclear weapons in Belarus. But if he follows through, the chance of a democratic transition for Belarus could all but vanish
Russian political proxies are weaponising protests in Moldova, escalating Russia’s hybrid war in the country. Despite optimistic appearances, Moldovan authorities are ill-prepared to face this crisis
The EU should reform its Eastern Partnership initiative to better address the different needs and priorities of the partner countries
Moldova’s total dependence on Russian gas makes it a key front in Moscow’s hybrid war. The EU should help Moldova diversify its energy supplies to prevent further destabilisation
Georgian government actions are hindering the country’s journey to the EU, yet the Georgian people are strongly pro-European. The EU should more tightly condition the support it provides
If Moldova can resist Russia’s weaponisation of gas and get through this winter, it should be able to make strong progress on its programme of reforms
Russia could target Moldova by embarking on a limited-scope but overt military invasion – or by pursuing more covert hybrid aggression scenarios. Moldova and the EU need to embrace “active resilience” to address this
Russia’s war on Ukraine means the EU must devise a new approach to its neighbourhood. It should establish a Partnership for Enlargement that offers Ukraine and other states concrete steps towards deeper integration
The EU should offer Georgia, Moldova, and Ukraine a new intelligence and security compact to help strengthen their security against Russia
Young diplomats in Eastern Partnership countries are optimistic and pro-European. Many of them want the EU to become a bolder geopolitical actor
The EU’s tendency to shy away from security issues has helped make covert operations and military threats Russia’s tools of choice in the region
The EU should make use of its significant leverage in Georgia and Moldova to counter their ruling parties’ extensive repertoire of electoral dirty tricks
Failure to strengthen Eastern Partnership states could strengthen Russia and allow authoritarianism to diffuse westward into the EU
Introduction Volodymyrska Hill, Kyiv, on a June evening in 2019. Kyivans and tourists stroll along the riverside park’s newly relaid paths, many wending their way…
Barely a month after Georgian Dream declared victory in a contested and undemocratic election, Georgia’s European future hangs by a thread. The EU must act decisively to prevent its slide towards Moscow
Bulgaria’s latest election is part of a regional pattern of voting irregularities, Russian disinformation, and the rise of anti-system parties, pressuring the EU’s efforts to protect democracy in its eastern neighborhood
Moldova’s two upcoming elections will shape its EU ascension trajectory; but Russian interference threatens its democratic process. Moldova and EU policymakers should now collaborate to combat voter bribery and disinformation, especially in its Russian-speaking regions
Moldova’s recent local elections faced unprecedented levels of Russian interference. In the lead up to the presidential election next year, the EU should help Moldova counter these threats before it’s too late
Over the past year, Moldova has rid itself of Russian gas supplies. But it still receives electricity from the Russian-sponsored breakaway region of Transnistria. Ending this final dependency would bolster Moldova’s security – and Europe’s
Western sponsors of the dialogue between Pristina and Belgrade are wrong to believe Serbia will work to make a success of diplomacy
Putin may be bluffing about the deployment of tactical nuclear weapons in Belarus. But if he follows through, the chance of a democratic transition for Belarus could all but vanish
Russian political proxies are weaponising protests in Moldova, escalating Russia’s hybrid war in the country. Despite optimistic appearances, Moldovan authorities are ill-prepared to face this crisis
The EU should reform its Eastern Partnership initiative to better address the different needs and priorities of the partner countries
Moldova’s total dependence on Russian gas makes it a key front in Moscow’s hybrid war. The EU should help Moldova diversify its energy supplies to prevent further destabilisation
What role does Russia play in the breakaway regions of Eastern Europe?
Locked in a shadowy life between war and peace, “grey zones” now litter the map of Eastern Europe
What kind of implications do the developments in Belarus have for the wider neighbourhood and Europe?
What lessons can be drawn from Josep Borrell’s controversial visit to Moscow?
It came as a surprise when Russia’s government resigned just hours after Putin’s announced his plans for a possible referendum of constitutional changes. Host Mark…
Standing in for regular host Mark Leonard, Anthony Dworkin, senior policy fellow at ECFR, looks at Europe's Eastern neighbourhood and interaction with Russia. He is…
Podcast de notre débat du 21 mai « Ukraine Under President Zelensky » en présence de Victor Andruziv, directeur de l’Ukrainian Institute for…
Jeremy Shapiro is standing in for the regular host Mark Leonard and discusses the current situation in Crimea and relations between Russia and Ukraine with…
Mark Leonard speaks with Andrew Wilson, Kadri Liik and Nicu Popescu about the Kerch Strait ship capture, what this means and how the international community…
ECFR’s director Mark Leonard discusses peacekeeping in Ukraine and the EU's Russia policy with ECFR's Russia expert, Kadri Liik and ECFR's Ukraine expert Andrew Wilson
ECFR's director Mark Leonard discusses the challenges that Europe faces both in its Eastern and Southern neighbourhoods with Nicu Popescu and Florence Daub, two Senior…
ECFR’s head of the Madrid office, Francisco de Borja Lasheras, speaks with Sergei Pronkin about why the Lenin monument in Donetsk Oblast in Ukraine was…
This webinar will discuss current revisions of the EU approach to enlargement policy and the security implications for Ukraine and the neighborhoods
This event will discuss Belarus’ role in Russia’s war against Ukraine and the repressions and threats faced by the democratic opposition in Belarus and in exile. It will also explore possible actions by Western countries in this context
Russia’s war against Ukraine has prompted European policymakers to rethink their approach to enlargement. What form does this new approach take, what are the opportunities for EU and candidate countries, and what is the European Political Community’s role?
Die EU muss sich reformieren, bevor sie die Ukraine (und andere Beitrittskandidaten) aufnimmt – nur so verhindert sie totale Dysfunktionalität
Secondo appuntamento di una serie di tre working lunch realizzati congiuntamente da ECFR Roma, SDA Bocconi e l’Institute for European Policymaking @ Bocconi University
Ahead of the European Council in December where accession talks with Ukraine are expected to be opened, the European Council on Foreign Relations (ECFR) is…
What policy changes do the EU and its member states need to envisage if the EU is to act more geopolitically and increase its influence in the Eastern neighbourhood?
Experts present a report on the effectiveness and downfalls of the sanctions that were imposed on Russia by the European Union and the United States in the aftermath of the illegal annexation of Crimea.
Zaproszenie na debatę publiczną na temat reform wewnętrznych na Ukrainie i jej relacjach z Unią Europejską
Invitation for the public debate on Ukrainian internal reforms and Kiev's relations with Europe
