The European Union's Fraying Ties

Despite its claims to the contrary, the European Union has faced difficulties in its relationships with neighboring states in its periphery, most notably Ukraine, Moldova and Georgia. The European Union released a report March 20 on the status of its European Neighborhood Policy, stating that progress has been made with Moldova and Georgia over the past year, while Ukraine has experienced a setback in its relations with the European bloc. In reality, the Europe-oriented political factions in each country have weakened during this time period. While this does not mean that all of these countries are completely turning away from Europe and moving into the Russian fold, the prospect of these countries getting closer to the European Union — much less joining the bloc — is diminishing.