Ukraine Crisis Makes EU Eastern Partnership More Important: Merkel

German Chancellor Angela Merkel said the European Union’s partnership with its eastern neighbors is more important than ever after the Ukraine crisis.

Ms. Merkel traveled to Latvia on Thursday for a two-day summit with six of the EU’s ex-Soviet neighbors. Before her trip, she told Germany’s parliament that Europe’s peaceful order had been disturbed by Russia’s movements in Crimea and Ukraine. She also promised to support Eastern Europe as they embrace democracy.

The partnership is being strengthened in order to boost economic growth in eastern partners such as Ukraine, Georgia, Moldova, Armenia, Azerbaijan and Belarus. Such actions are not welcome to Russian President Vladimir Putin, despite Chancellor Merkel’s assertion that the initiative is not directed against Russia.