Ukraine also in the Three Seas Initiative?

11 May 2022

Ukraine should join the Three Seas Initiative as soon as possible – appeals a political scientist Przemysław Żurawski vel Grajewski, Vice-President of the Three Seas Initiative Association . In a meeting with the Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki in Karpacz last year, Prime Minister Denys Szmyhal also declared close cooperation with the Three Seas Initiative.

Three Seas Initiative (3SI) is a cooperation format of 12 states of the eastern flank of the EU in the scope of extension of transport and communication infrastructure on the north-south axis, transit of energy sources and electric energy in the Baltic, Black Sea and Adriatic triangle, as well as development of infrastructure. The condition of a membership in 3SI is to be a member of the European Union.

Ukraine does not belong to the European Union but it has the association agreement upon which it is included in Deep and Comprehensive Free Trade Area. Since 2017 Ukraine has also had free-visa traffic with the EU. It hasn’t been equal to free movement of people but it has considerably made it easier. The scale of mutual openness between the EU and Ukraine is big enough to make cooperation of Kiev with the 3SI mutually beneficial.

On 28th February – four days after the full-scale aggression of Russia against Ukraine, President Wolodymyr Zelenski signed an application for immediate acceptance of his state to the European Union based on the special accelerated application procedure. He was enthusiastically supported in this regard by Poland and Baltic states. Extending the EU to any poor country is however rejected by the voters in the leading UE states and their democratic governments must take into account the opinion of their electorate.

Ukraine was invited to the first 3SI summit to Dubrovnik in 2016. Unfortunately, Germany-oriented team of President Petr Poroszenko did not take advantage of the invitation following the reluctancy of Germany to this initiative. The opportunity passed. Today, the Ukrainians are disappointed by the fact they do not belong to the Three Seas Initiative. Nord Stream 2 and Berlin’s policy towards the Russian invasion symbolised by the story of “5 thousand helmets” and reluctance of Germany to fast comprehensive sanctions against Russia showed a real picture of Germany. Against this background, cooperation with Poland, supported by the USA and great Britain, seems to be more and more attractive – quotes Przemysław Żurawski vel Grajewski for tvp.info

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About the Three Seas Initiative in Davos

23 January 2026

About the Three Seas Initiative in Davos

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23 January 2026

Polish President Karol Nawrocki emphasized in Davos the strategic importance of the Three Seas Initiative as a key platform for infrastructural, economic, and geopolitical cooperation in Central and Eastern Europe. The opening speech of the panel „Three Seas Initiative: geostrategic business opportunities – a bridge to the future – from the Adriatic, the Baltic, the Black Sea to Asia” took place as part of the Leaders Forum powered by Poland during the World Economic Forum in Davos. Former polish president Andrzej Duda participated as well.

President Nawrocki noted that over the course of a decade the Three Seas Initiative has evolved from a political concept into a mature cooperation mechanism that has tangible impact on the regional development.

“Ten years ago, the Three Seas Initiative began as an idea. Up until today it has evolved into a strategic framework for regional transformation, and alliance of innovation and infrastructure, and a symbol of Central and South-Eastern Europe’s maturity and confidence on the world stage” – told the President.

In his address the President also emphasized the strong transatlantic anchoring of the Three Seas Initiative. He stressed that from the very beginning, the Initiative was conceived as an open project, strengthening cooperation between the European Union and partners outside Europe, particularly the United States. In this context, the Three Seas Initiative was presented as a “bridge” connecting a dynamically developing region with global capital, technology, and markets.

” The Three Seas Initiative has never been an inward-looking project (…) it has been strategically anchored in the transatlantic partnership that unites Europe and North America”.

The President drew attention to the geostrategic dimension of cooperation within the Three Seas region in the face of global challenges such as geopolitical instability, pressure on supply chains, and competition for resources. He pointed out that the development of modern infrastructure and the deepening of economic cooperation constitute the foundation of security and long-term growth.

The speech also had a strong economic dimension. The President of Poland underlined Poland’s ambitions to strengthen its position in the global economy and its aspirations to join the G20, highlighting the growing role of the Three Seas region as one of the engines of growth in Europe. At the same time, he invited international investors to actively participate in projects implemented under the framework of the Initiative.

During the World Economic Forum in Davos, President Karol Nawrocki also met with President of the United States Donald Trump. The main topics of their talks were security and economic issues.

THE PRESIDENT’S SPEECH IS AVAILABLE HERE

Photo credit: © Mikołaj Bujak/KPRP, Source: https://www.prezydent.pl/aktualnosci/wizyty-zagraniczne/prezydent-w-davos-o-inicjatywie-trojmorza,113783