The United States continues to expand its involvement in the Three Seas Initiative (3SI)—a platform comprising 12 to 13 nations located between the Baltic, Adriatic, and Black Seas that focuses on developing the region's energy, transport, and digital infrastructure. Founded in 2016, the initiative has since gradually transformed into an institutional venue for collaborative projects and for attracting investment, including from partners beyond its borders.
The U.S. engages with the 3SI through the International Development Finance Corporation (DFC) and the initiative’s investment fund. In 2020, the administration stated that it could direct up to $1 billion through the DFC into infrastructure and energy projects within member states, and in 2022, an agreement to allocate up to $300 million to 3SI funds was announced to support energy and infrastructure. These steps are aimed at diversifying energy sources and infrastructure partners, thereby reducing dependency on Russia and other unilateral suppliers.
Interest in the 3SI persists into 2026: another summit took place in Dubrovnik this April, where participants discussed progress on energy, transport, and digital sector projects. This format emphasizes a desire to increase the pace of project implementation, attract private capital, and strengthen the initiative's institutional base, rather than announcing a completely new, "breakthrough" direction starting for the first time in 2026.
Statements from the State Department and U.S. agencies regarding the 3SI in the 2020s focus on political support, institutional assistance, and the establishment of specific investment frameworks, rather than a one-time, "sudden" activation. At the same time, the U.S. continues to be seen as one of the region's key external investors and partners, alongside the EU and private capital.
