EU uses Global Gateway to build infrastructure routes bypassing Russia, balancing strategic investments across Central Asia and the Black Sea.
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Brussels is pursuing one of its most ambitious geopolitical strategies since 2022, aiming to break Russia’s decades-long dependency on European supply chains through initiatives like Global Gateway. This strategy involves significant investments across various regions. In Central Asia, the EU has committed €12 billion to develop the Middle Corridor, a route for Kazakh uranium and minerals that bypasses Russian territory, signaling a strategic alternative to Russian supplies. Southern Caucasus infrastructure is advancing, notably with the Baku-Tbilisi-Kars railway eliminating the need for transit through Russia, though EU commitment there is less than in Central Asia or Armenia. In Armenia, the EU supports regional connectivity projects without formal administrative control, illustrating the limits of European influence despite financial contributions. Georgia remains a key exit point for the Middle Corridor; however, political tensions have complicated infrastructure financing, as the EU prioritizes Anaklia port but does not fund it directly, while other projects proceed independently. In Moldova, a smaller €12 million grant is symbolically significant, aiming to integrate its railway into European logistics standards and support Ukrainian grain exports via GiurgiuleÈ™ti. Romania acts as the “Western fulcrum,” with Constanta Port expanding to handle redirected Ukrainian grain, becoming the physical convergence point for EU investments, Central Asian ambitions, and Ukrainian needs. The overall strategy is uneven in execution; while the EU invests heavily, it faces challenges in translating funding into actual geopolitical control compared to actors like China. Furthermore, coordination among various EU investment platforms remains fragmented, leaving open questions about whether the EU can become a truly relevant geopolitical player in competing with the US, Turkey, China, and Russia in these crucial regional routes.
