Authors

Nino Tabeshadze¹;  ¹ Swedish Defence University, Sweden

Discussion

The security and defense in the EU's eastern neighborhood has grown increasingly complex, driven by challenges from regional instability, Russian influence, and broader geopolitical competition. 

The region, encompassing countries like Ukraine, Georgia, Moldova, and parts of the Western Balkans, is seen by the EU as critical to its security due to their proximity and historical ties. The EU’s approach to security in this neighborhood is shaped by a mix of deterrence, stabilization efforts, and support for governance and defense sector reforms in partner countries. 

On the other hand, countries such as Ukraine, Moldova, and Georgia, which seek EU membership, view this partnership as a pathway to closer ties with the EU, though it does not include a direct security guarantee. 

So far under its CSDP framework, the EU has deployed several missions in the region focused on reforming security and justice sectors. 

For example, the EU Advisory Mission (EUAM) in Ukraine supports reforms in civilian security, and the European Union Monitoring Mission (EUMM) in Georgia helps promote stability in areas affected by regional conflicts. These missions are non-military in nature, aimed primarily at supporting governance and rule of law rather than deterrence.

Russia’s actions in Ukraine, Moldova, and Georgia pose persistent security challenges. The annexation of Crimea, the ongoing conflict in eastern Ukraine, and Russia’s influence in Moldova’s Transnistria region and Georgia’s breakaway territories highlight the limitations of traditional deterrence in the neighborhood. In response, the EU has ramped up support for resilience against hybrid threats, cyber defense, and strategic communication efforts to counter disinformation campaigns.

However, Russia does not decrease attempts to influence ongoing elections and referendums in Moldova and Georgia, which might lead to even more regional tensions. 

 The paper will try to discuss possible regional scenarios in relation to complex interrelated processes unfolding in EU Eastern neighbourhood. For countries like Ukraine, Georgia, and Moldova, the EU has increasingly incorporated security into bilateral and multilateral dialogues. While full membership remains a complex issue, these states benefit from training, capability-building initiatives, and EU-funded reforms to modernize their defense sectors, aligning them more closely with EU standards, however, strengthening of Russia`s soft power in the region might affect recent western developments.