RFE
01 Jul 2025, 15:43 GMT+10
Welcome to Wider Europe, RFE/RL's newsletter focusing on the key issues concerning the European Union, NATO, and other institutions and their relationships with the Western Balkans and Europe's Eastern neighborhoods.
I'm RFE/RL Europe Editor Rikard Jozwiak, and this week I am drilling down on two major issues: potential Georgia sanctions and Ukraines setback on EU and NATO membership.
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Wider Europe Briefing: Georgia Risks EU Sanctions; Ukraine Hits Roadblocks In NATO, EU Bids
byRFE/RL
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What You Need To Know:After months of simmering tensions in the country, Georgia is slowly moving up the EUs agenda again, driven by a wave of arrests of opposition figures and new restrictive laws such as the Foreign Agent Registration Act and changes to broadcasting regulations.
For much of the past year, the EU has struggled to form a clear strategy toward the ruling Georgian Dream (GD) government, particularly after it claimed victory in last years disputed parliamentary elections amid allegations of irregularities.
Earlier this year, Brussels imposed visa requirements on holders of Georgian diplomatic passports and refrained from holding high-level meetings while attempting to divert some funding away from the government and toward civil society instead.
However, stronger measures -- like EU sanctions on GD leaders -- were blocked, especially by Hungary and Slovakia, in early 2025.
Deep Background: Could things be different now?
EU foreign ministers briefly discussed the situation in Georgia when they assembled in Brussels on June 23 and they agreed to come back to the issue again when they meet on July 15 ahead of the monthlong Brussels recess when little of note occurs in terms of policymaking in the bloc.
Prompting the recent June discussion was a one-page paper drafted by Lithuania, one of the EUs more hawkish voices regarding Georgias current leadership.
Seen by RFE/RL, it proposes several measures that the club can enact as the situation in Georgia continues to deteriorate drastically.
While the discussion was rather short and came at the end of the meeting, several member states spoke out and seemed to agree that Brussels needs to do something more.
However, EU officials whom RFE/RL has spoken to under condition of anonymity did suggest it was very telling that Hungary argued that the bloc should pursue closer cooperation with Tbilisi.
Austria, while critical of the situation in the South Caucasus republic, also cautioned that it was important not to push it too much into Russias orbit.
Drilling Down
What You Need To Know:Last week could have been a momentous week in Ukraines long-term wish of joining the European Union and NATO.
In the end, it wasn't.
As leaders of the two institutions met for key summits in Brussels and The Hague respectively, Kyivs eventual membership of both should have been a centerpiece.
Instead, Ukraine is no closer to joining either -- and the many obstacles in the war-torn country's path to the Euro-Atlantic community were on full display.
Rewind one year to NATOs Washington summit.
Just like in Vilnius a year ago, Ukraine was frustrated that it didnt get an invitation, but the final declaration gushed about the country.
We fully support Ukraines right to choose its own security arrangements and decide its own future, free from outside interference. Ukraines future is in NATO, the text reaffirmed, before adding as Ukraine continues this vital work, we will continue to support it on its irreversible path to full Euro-Atlantic integration, including NATO membership.
Joe Biden, the US president at the time, was reluctant to go further, with Kyiv engaged in direct conflict with Russia.
Germany was quietly backing Washingtons stance but the warm language and the guest of honor treatment of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy at the summit was indicative of an aspirant country that soon would transform to a full-fledged ally.
Deep Background:At this years NATO summit in The Hague, the scenes could not have been much starker.
Biden is no longer president. In his place is Donald Trump, who has openly dismissed Ukraines chances of joining for years.
And the new reality was on display everywhere.
There was no NATO-Ukraine Council on a leaders level. No one talked openly about Ukraines eventual membership and there were no words about it in the final declaration.
Instead, there was just a line that allies can count financial support to Kyiv as part of the military alliances new defense spending target.
Granted, Zelenskyy was present at the summit dinner. He met all relevant leaders, including a bilateral with Donald Trump that according to all read-outs went well.
Trump even said he was nice, opened up for potential Patriot deliveries to Ukraine, and seemed to show willingness to press Russian President Vladimir Putin to come to the table.
But, in reality, Ukraine got nothing concrete, niceties aside.
Washington is still reluctant to sanction Russia, the Europeans are shying away from their signature proposal to lower the Russian oil price cap, and when it comes to NATO membership, Kyiv is further away now than it was a year ago.
The fact that officials said it was a success that Trump didnt treat Zelenskyy badly and that the Ukrainians didnt complain about the lack of outcomes shows how low expectations were.
Drilling Down
EU leadersfailed to agree on the latest sanctions packageat the summit last week.
Slovakia is still not giving the green light as Bratislava is seeking exemptions from a totally separate European Commission proposal that would force EU member states to totally phase out Russian energy imports within the next two years.
Commission officials will travel to Slovakia on July 3 in order to find a way out from this impasse.
That's all for this week!
Feel free to reach out to me on any of these issues on X @RikardJozwiak, or on e-mail [email protected].
Until next time,
Rikard Jozwiak
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