The European Neighborhood Policy, developed in 2004, is an initiative that seeks to build closer relations between the European Union and countries close to the bloc in Eastern Europe, the Caucasus and the Mediterranean, primarily through the promotion of democracy and human rights in these countries. Complementing this initiative is another EU regional program known as the Eastern Partnership, which specifically targets former Soviet states on the EU periphery: Belarus, Ukraine, Moldova, Georgia, Armenia and Azerbaijan. While both programs seek to develop ties by promoting democracy and transparency in line with EU norms, the Eastern Partnership also offers political and financial incentives to strengthen relationships with target countries.

Of the Eastern Partnership target states, Ukraine, Moldova and Georgia were seen — particularly by Poland and Sweden, the initiators of the Eastern Partnership — as a priority for the European Union. These countries are strategically located, with Ukraine and Moldova buffering the European Union from Russia and Georgia serving as an important energy transit point within the Southern Corridor. Furthermore, these countries have had the most Western-oriented governments of all the target states and have pursued EU membership as an official policy goal. However, internal political dynamics in all three countries have presented major challenges for the European Union's efforts, and the states' further integration into the bloc has come to a virtual halt.

In Ukraine, President Viktor Yanukovich's political consolidation has led to the detention of several opposition figures, most notably former Prime Minister and presidential candidate Yulia Timoshenko. These detentions have prompted criticism from Europe and have strained Ukrainian-EU relations. In 2012, Ukraine initialed association and free trade agreements with the European Union — the most advanced stage of European integration achieved by any of the Eastern Partnership states. However, neither document has been officially signed or ratified due to Timoshenko's controversial imprisonment and to parliamentary elections held later in 2012 that the Europeans deemed unfair. This delay is what prompted the European Union to label its relationship with Ukraine as "lagging behind" in its March 20 report.

However, even in Moldova and Georgia, it is difficult to see where progress in EU relations has been made. The European Union's report commended Georgia for holding free and fair parliamentary elections in 2012. However, in that election Georgian President Mikhail Saakashvili's United National Movement party was defeated by the Georgian Dream movement led by billionaire Bidzina Ivanishvili, who has advocated normalizing economic ties with Russia. Since then, Georgia's commitment to Western-oriented projects has been increasingly questioned, and Ivanishvili has targeted Saakashvili loyalists in numerous political and economic positions, sacking some and detaining others. Though Ivanishvili has stated that Georgia will continue pursuing EU and NATO memberships, this orientation will likely weaken while he is prime minister.

With regard to Moldova, the EU report noted positive movement on association and free trade agreements between Chisinau and the European Union. However, the recent collapse of the Western-oriented ruling coalition, the Alliance for European Integration, has thrown the country back into a familiar state of political paralysis. This collapse has opened up the possibility of early elections, which could lead to a comeback by the Russia-oriented Communist Party. Even if the Communists fail to regain control of the government, it is likely that political deadlock will stifle any significant integration between Moldova and the European Union — such as the free trade agreement — in the coming months, if not years.

Russia stands to gain the most from these political developments and the weakening of these countries' ties with the European Union. Moscow has significant levers in all three countries and could gain politically and economically as prospects for EU integration diminish. However, internal political divisions within Ukraine, Moldova and Georgia limit the impact of any outside power — including Russia — in influencing the countries' orientation, and each of their governments will be careful to keep both foreign policy options open to a certain extent. 

Still, the European Union's position has clearly weakened as a result of the evolving political situation in each country, and the deepening economic and political crisis in Europe has reduced the bloc's energy and appetite for focusing on its Eastern neighbors. All of these factors have caused the further integration of Ukraine, Moldova and Georgia with Europe to become increasingly unlikely.