New Transatlantic Act Launches Enterprise to Boost U.S. Ties with Central Europe, Targeting Russian and Chinese Influence

The Transatlantic Growth Enterprise Act is setting up a new program to strengthen U.S. economic and security relationships with eight countries in Central and Eastern Europe, including Poland, Ukraine, and Hungary. Think of it as a formal, government-backed effort to make sure our allies in that region are stable, strong, and not getting too cozy with Russia or China.

This new program, the Transatlantic Growth Enterprise (TGE), will be run by the Secretary of State and the Development Finance Corporation. Its main job is to expand business ties—linking U.S. industry with key sectors abroad—and boost energy security, especially in areas like nuclear energy. The goal is to solidify the U.S. position in a critical geopolitical area, which Congress views as essential for U.S. security, especially given the ongoing war in Ukraine (SEC. 3).

The New Rulebook for U.S. Investment

For U.S. businesses, this means new opportunities and a more structured approach to investing in Enterprise countries (the Czech Republic, Poland, Slovakia, Hungary, Romania, Moldova, Ukraine, and Bulgaria). The TGE is tasked with working directly with Chambers of Commerce to connect U.S. companies with economic and security opportunities there (SEC. 5). If you’re in tech, infrastructure, or energy, the U.S. government is now actively trying to pave the way for you in these markets.

However, there’s a major catch—and it’s a big one for diplomacy. The TGE is strictly barred from supporting any projects with officials in partner countries if the Secretary of State determines those officials are actively undermining U.S. interests by cooperating with Russia or China, or undermining democracy (SEC. 5). This means if a local mayor or a government official in an Enterprise country signs a deal that allows Russian or Chinese military forces to set up shop, the U.S. government must pull the plug on any TGE-supported projects involving them.

Decoupling Energy Dependence

One of the biggest focuses of this Act is energy. Congress wants to break the dependency of these European nations on Russian and Chinese energy sectors. Within one year, the Secretary of State must deliver a detailed Energy Strategy Report to Congress. This report has to assess current energy cooperation, detail the risk of Russian/Chinese dependency, and identify specific infrastructure opportunities for the U.S. to help these countries decouple (SEC. 5). For the U.S. energy sector, especially those involved in nuclear power or large-scale renewables, this signals a clear push for public and private investment opportunities abroad.

What This Means for Everyday Life

While this is a foreign policy bill, the real-world impact comes down to trade and stability. For U.S. workers, stronger economic ties with these growing European markets could mean more export opportunities and potentially more stable supply chains down the road. For the partner countries, it means U.S. investment dollars flowing in, which can boost local economies and infrastructure.

But the restriction on working with certain officials is the most fascinating part. It gives the U.S. a powerful diplomatic tool—the threat of withholding investment—to hold allied governments accountable for democratic standards and geopolitical alignment. It’s a clear message: if you want U.S. investment and security cooperation, you need to be a reliable partner. This puts significant, though subjective, power in the hands of the Secretary of State to determine who is ‘in’ and who is ‘out’ of U.S.-backed projects.