Russia's Western Border

• Russian language is widely spoken in areas surrounding the country e.g Belarus and Ukraine
• Russia considers the areas which speak its language to be in its sphere of influence
• Following the 1991 collapse of communism and the independence of former Soviet republics, several newly independent countries in this sphere have raised the possibility of joining the EU and/or NATO
• Russia has reacted to countries in its sphere of influence joining EU and or NATO by reasserting its belief that these regions should remain under Russia's influence
• Increased tensions between Western Europe and Russia have implications for people and economics.
• EU and US economic sanctions following the 2014 Ukraine/Crimea crisis have isolated Russia economically, but also affected EU exporters who can no longer sell to Russia. Russian consumers have also suffered as imports have dried up.
• The open conflict in Crimea, Eastern Ukraine and Georgia led to forced displacement of tens of thousands of people as well as hundreds of deaths.
• NATO deployed additional air and ground forces to its eastern border in Estonia, Lithuania, Latvia, Poland, Romania, and Bulgaria.
• Speculation from political commentators of a new Cold War between Russia and Western allies has increased since 2008
• In 2008, Russia effectively annexed the Georgian regions of South Ossetia and Abkhazia after a short war and, as of 2016, continues to occupy them.
• In 2014, seemingly in response to Ukrainian moves to join the EU and/or NATO, Russia annexed the Ukrainian region of Crimea, significantly raising political and military tensions.
• Although denied by Russia, as of 2016 its troops appear to be supporting separatist Russian-speaking Ukrainian forces in eastern Ukraine
• Transnistria is effectively a Russian-occupied part of Moldova, and has been since 1992. Disputed ownership makes Moldovan membership of the EU unlikely.
• The extra-territorial Russian enclave of Kaliningrad is Russia's only year-round ice-freeport. Russia has threatened to deploy missiles in Kaliningrad in response to NATO's eastward expansion since 1991.
• Despite being in the EU, Finland has never joined NATO, partly over fears of how Russia would react if it did.