The European Commission has unveiled a new strategy to support the eastern countries of the bloc, called EastInvest.
Nine countries will receive loans totaling 28 billion euros. These are Bulgaria, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, Romania, Slovakia, Finland, and Estonia. They either border Russia, Belarus, or Ukraine, or are located on the Black Sea.
According to Brussels, all these countries have been indirectly affected by the war in Ukraine: there has been an economic downturn, a population outflow from border areas, and high hybrid threats from Moscow.
The loans will be directed towards strengthening security and defense capabilities, particularly in the digital sphere, educational programs, and job creation, as well as maintaining and improving infrastructure: a separate item is the integration of the Baltic countries' energy networks into the pan-European system.
How exactly the funds will be distributed among the countries is planned to be decided at a special meeting scheduled for February 26.
