Er waren gigantisch veel middelen gestoken in de relatie met Rusland, maar er was zeer weinig naar de landen in de regio gegaan die de EU en Rusland delen – inclusief de belangrijkste van deze buren, Oekraïne.
Enormous resources had been invested in the relationship with Russia, but very little had gone into helping the countries in the neighborhood that the EU and Russia share – including the most important of these neighbors, Ukraine.