State border crossing points: economic-political challenges and hopes (a glance from outside)

Abstract

The purpose of the Article is to highlight the changes in the border crossing situation in Ukraine due to the Russian Federation‘s aggression and the same time present visions of the strategic development of the state border protection, management of border crossing procedures from a business point of view through lenses of four fundamental freedoms of the European Union single market: the free movement of goods, capital, services, and people, known collectively as the “four freedoms”. The author of this paper presents his visions on potential directions for formatting the Integrated Border Management Strategy for the upcoming 10-30 years. It is important to have a grand strategy for Ukraine, especially in the country’s national security and economic development. Ben Shalom Bernanke, an American economist who served as the 14th chairman of the Federal Reserve from 2006 to 2014, winner of the Nobel Prize in Economics Nobel for work with other economists in “How societies deal with financial crises” stated that “only a strong economy can create higher asset values and sustainably good returns for savers”. Amongst many other factors influencing country’s economy is border crossing procedures. In February 2019, Ukrainian President signed a constitutional amendment committing the country to become a member of NATO and the European Union. It also affected significant changes in trade partners and the direction of the country’s future development. These decisive steps of Ukraine toward rule of law, and prosperity infuriated, and buried the Russian Federation as the so-called Soviet Union successor’s ambiguous plan to restore the former Soviet empire. The first phase of the Russian Federation’s aggression against Ukraine in 2014 came to the most brutal second phase on 24 February 2022. It impacts modes and means of transporting goods in Ukraine, directions of cargo, and trade partners; significantly changes movement of goods inside and outside of Ukraine, passengers carriers activities, and influx of refugees. It caused long queues for many kilometers’ at border crossing points at the Western and Southern part of Ukraine.