The European Commission has initiated a strategy to assist nine EU countries bordering Russia, Ukraine, and Belarus, mobilising billions of euros to counteract economic downturn and population decline.

The European Commission unveiled a strategy aimed at supporting eastern border regions facing economic challenges, demographic pressures, and hybrid threats linked to the ongoing conflict in Ukraine.

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Finland, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, Slovakia, Hungary, Romania, and Bulgaria will benefit from this initiative, which focuses on regions experiencing diminished investment, population decreases, and disruptions to cross-border interactions.

At the heart of the plan lies EastInvest, a facility designed to distribute €28bn in loans in partnership with the European Investment Bank and the World Bank to stimulate investment and commercial activities in the impacted areas.

«This Communication was crafted collaboratively with the territories and their communities to guarantee that they remain dynamic places to live, work, develop, and compete,» stated Raffaele Fitto, Executive Vice-President for Cohesion and Reforms.

The strategy also includes the European Drone Wall Initiative to enhance border security, initiatives supporting the integration of Baltic electricity networks into the wider European grid, as well as educational and employment programmes to counteract population decline in border zones.

Allocations of funds to each member state have yet to be finalized. EU representatives are expected to convene with member state delegates at an EastInvest event planned for late February.

The Baltic countries and Poland have considerably strengthened their eastern borders in reaction to hybrid tactics used by Russia and Belarus, such as the deliberate facilitation of migrant crossings across EU borders aimed at destabilising member states.

Last year, Belarus also launched numerous balloons into Lithuanian airspace, causing disturbances in air traffic control.