Ukraine: What the EU can do

The author calls for the EU to leverage its economic influence over Russia to end the occupation of Crimea and provide Ukraine with a structured support package. This package includes ten priorities focusing on electoral integrity, institutional reform, energy diversification, and economic modernization to prevent national bankruptcy and ensure long-term stability on the EU's eastern border.

• The EU possesses significant economic leverage to pressure the Russian leadership due to the high volume of trade and investment, as 50% of Russian foreign trade and 75% of foreign investment are with the EU, and the EU is the primary customer for Gazprom.
• To ensure energy security and reduce reliance on Russian supplies, the EU should help Ukraine implement energy efficiency programs, prepare for 'reverse flow' gas supplies, reduce network leakages, liberalize the energy sector, and support renewable energy pilot projects.
• Ukraine requires immediate financial assistance to avoid national insolvency, which should be paired with reforms to prevent misappropriation and the investigation of assets held by Ukrainian oligarchs and politicians within the EU for potential return to the Ukrainian government.
• The EU should prioritize the modernization and economic diversification of the mining and heavy industry sectors in southern and eastern Ukraine through a special fund for small and medium enterprises, as these sectors may not maintain their current size.

APA

Kaufmann, R. F. W. (2014). Ukraine: What the EU can do. Green European Journal. https://www.greeneuropeanjournal.eu/ukraine-what-the-eu-can-do/

Chicago

Kaufmann, Ralf Fücks, Walter. Ukraine: What the EU can do. Green European Journal, 2014. https://www.greeneuropeanjournal.eu/ukraine-what-the-eu-can-do/.

Wikipedia

{{cite press release |last1=Kaufmann |first1=Ralf Fücks, Walter |title=Ukraine: What the EU can do |publisher=Green European Journal |date=6 March 2014 |url=https://www.greeneuropeanjournal.eu/ukraine-what-the-eu-can-do/ |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@misc{kaufmann2014ukraine, author = {Kaufmann, Ralf Fücks, Walter}, title = {{Ukraine: What the EU can do}}, publisher = {Green European Journal}, year = {2014}, month = mar, url = {https://www.greeneuropeanjournal.eu/ukraine-what-the-eu-can-do/}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }