On February 18, 2026, the European Commission officially launched a Communication titled “Strong Eastern Regions for a Safe Europe.” This strategic document represents the European Union’s comprehensive response to the long-term impacts of the Russia-Ukraine war, which has transformed Eastern Europe into a frontline of security, economic, and demographic threats. The plan targets nine EU member states bordering Russia, Belarus, and Ukraine: Finland, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, Slovakia, Hungary, Romania, and Bulgaria. This region stretches from Lapland in the north to the Black Sea in the south.

The primary goal is to make the eastern border region a safer, more resilient, and attractive place to live and work. The European Commission emphasizes that the eastern region is not merely a “national border,” but a “European border” whose success determines the security and stability of the entire continent. This approach combines post-invasion solidarity with long-term strategic investments that integrate security, economic competitiveness, and territorial cohesion.

Since Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, the EU’s eastern region has faced extraordinary pressure. Security threats have escalated dramatically in the form of hybrid attacks, disinformation, weaponized migration, infrastructure sabotage, and military pressure from Russia and Belarus. Economically, there have been supply chain disruptions, a decline in foreign investment, stagnation in cross-border trade, and severe pressure on SMEs and the housing market. Local public services are overwhelmed by the influx of refugees, while local governments’ fiscal capacity is limited.

Demographic challenges are also worsening: emigration of young people, a rapidly aging population, and labor shortages in the health, education, and industrial sectors. Although the European Union has provided significant support since 2022—including infrastructure improvements, strengthening energy resilience, developing defense capabilities, and the EU-Ukraine Solidarity Lanes—the region’s security and economic conditions continue to face long-term risks. The European Commission recognizes that existing support approaches are not yet comprehensive enough. Therefore, “Strong Eastern Regions for a Safe Europe” is introduced as an integrated strategy that transforms Europe’s “vulnerabilities” into “strategic strengths.”

The Plan’s Five Key Priorities

This plan focuses on five key, interrelated priorities designed to address challenges in a holistic manner:

Security and Resilience

This priority is at the core of the strategy. The Commission proposes the development of the Eastern Flank Watch (a real-time surveillance system for the eastern region), the European Drone Defense Initiative, the European Air Shield, and the European Space Shield. Additionally, a cross-border network of practitioners will be established to enhance preparedness and cooperation within resilience clusters. The aim is to protect citizens from both hybrid and conventional threats while strengthening the European Union’s collective defense.

Growth and Regional Prosperity

Focus on the recovery and enhancement of the region’s economic competitiveness. Through cooperation with the European Investment Bank (EIB) and other international financial institutions, this priority aims to mobilize investment for local businesses, infrastructure, and economic diversification that has been severely impacted by the war.

Building on Local Strengths

The eastern region holds significant untapped potential. Examples include integrating the Baltic states’ electricity grids into the broader European grid, developing the Nordic-Baltic Hydrogen Corridor, and circular economy initiatives such as industrial symbiosis valleys and regional bioeconomy hubs. This approach transforms energy dependence into green opportunities and energy self-reliance.

Enhancing cross-border transportation, digital, and energy infrastructure is key. This includes the construction of roads, railways, ports, and dual-use (civilian and military) connections directly linking to Ukraine and Moldova. The goal is to facilitate the mobility of goods, services, and people while strengthening the internal integration of the European Union.

This most human-centered priority aims to address depopulation and labor shortages through improved education-to-work pathways. Additionally, the Media Resilience Program is being strengthened to combat disinformation and enhance media literacy among border communities. Local communities must feel safe and have a sense of a future for this region to remain vibrant and thrive.

The main funding pillar is the EastInvest Facility a new mechanism bringing together the European Investment Bank (EIB) Group, the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD), the Nordic Investment Bank, the Council of Europe Development Bank, and national promotional banks from nine relevant countries. This facility provides loans and advisory support that are more accessible to public and private project promoters in the eastern region. By the end of 2027, EastInvest is projected to mobilize up to €28 billion in loans. The EastInvest launch declaration was signed during a high-level political dialogue on February 26, 2026. Additionally, nearly two-thirds of the €150 billion SAFE program budget (joint defense procurement) is allocated to eastern border countries. The Commission will also hold an annual high-level political dialogue to monitor progress regularly and adjust strategies as needed.

“Strong Eastern Regions for a Safe Europe” marks a paradigm shift for the European Union: from a purely economic and social cohesion approach to a stronger integration between security and territorial development. This plan is not merely an expression of solidarity but a strategic investment in the continent’s resilience in an era of geopolitical uncertainty.

Its key strength lies in a holistic approach that combines hard defense (such as drone shields and air shields) with soft development (community support and the green economy). This has the potential to transform border regions from a “burden” into a “strategic asset” for Europe, contributing to the overall growth and stability of the European Union. However, several challenges exist. Coordination among member states could prove complex given differing political stances (for example, between Hungary and Poland and the Baltic states). Additionally, the availability of long-term budgets amid member states’ fiscal pressures, as well as the risk of escalation if militarization is perceived as overly provocative by Russia, must be carefully monitored.

For Indonesia, this plan offers valuable lessons. As an archipelagic nation with vulnerable border regions (such as Natuna, Papua, and Kalimantan), Indonesia can adopt a similar approach: integrating security with local economic development, leveraging regional potential (renewable energy and the bioeconomy), and strengthening community resilience against hybrid threats. The EastInvest model could also be adapted for national border region investment programs.

European Commission. (2026). Factsheet on EastInvest Facility.

European Commission. (2026). Press Release IP/26/433: Commission supports the EU’s eastern regions bordering Russia, Belarus and Ukraine.

European Commission. (2026). Strong eastern regions for a safe Europe. https://commission.europa.eu/news-and-media/news/strong-eastern-regions-safe-europe-2026-02-18_en 

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