The European Commission has announced a multi-billion plan to support EU border regions hardest hit by the fallout from Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine, including areas along the bloc’s frontier with Russia and Belarus such as Poland.
The initiative will cover regions in nine countries and aims to unlock financing, including an investment platform with the European Investment Bank, to deliver projects worth about €28 billion, EU Budget Commissioner Piotr Serafin said.
Grzegorz Gorzelak, a professor of regional economics at Warsaw University, said the support is expected to be long-lasting but not immediate.
The Commission also says additional funding for regions bordering Russia and Belarus is included in its post-2027 budget proposal, with talks on the next EU budget due to wrap up later this year.