Introduction: European Union enlargement has re-emerged as one of Europe’s most geopolitically significant debates. When Russia launched a full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, the EU, and to a wider extent, the continent as a whole, was forced to alter its geopolitical strategies.  The EU now has to re-evaluate its borders. Just as many former Warsaw Pact states began pursuing EU membership after the Cold War, many Eastern European states are now seeking closer ti