Perhaps it is my fault talking too much about historical relationships, their heritage and long-term political plans so it results in some sort of 'neoimperialist Poles and their expensive schemes' conclusion (I know, I know I am exaggerating with sarcasm, but I like it - that is in my blood).

Let's face the facts.

The key elemt is the Caucasus region with its strategical importance and the alternative path to oil and gas resources the EU needs.
The most important piece would be the Azeris who have huge resources of gas (more about that below), smaller, but sizable amounts of oil and the path they can offer to sign deals with Turkmenistan, Kazakhstan and others.
For that we need Georgia and Armenia - first adds another pipeline, away from Turkey (more routes do not hurt), second is necessary to secure the deal because we need to deal with the tension between the Azeris and the Armanians somehow and what better than keeping them in one structure to resolve the differences.
Obviously Ukraine has a different role, but it also offers another, secure path to the energy from the Caucasus states, besides the EU should try to expans its zone of influence and security - if we don't do that Russia will eventually - noone likes to live in a grey zone of little security without any profits from neutrality which is doubtful in this part of the world.

So here are the practical, sizable and profitable results from forging the Eastern Partnership - larger trade, better anti-emigration barriers (of course against the illegal immigration) - similar with all forms of anti criminal activity and cooperation and of course better energy security.

Why I am talking about the Azeris ? Simply we need to look at the raw numbers - to 2015 they are planning to reach up to 47,5 billion of cubic meters of gas which will be mostly exported.
It is reasonable it is possible because their trippled their production in time of last 12 months to 17 billion and should reach 27,4 billion this year.
They are already supplying themselves (they had to import gas only few years ago), Georgia and Turkey and should start supplying Greece and even Italy (Poseidon pipeline) this year. It should also be more than enough for Nabucco - no wonder the Russians are pushing so hard with the South Stream right now and are trying to push the Azeris to sign a number of deals with Gazprom to 'intercept' their export integrating them into Russian projects.

So basically we need to react fast because if Russia takes control over the region in this area we can say goodbye not only to the huge resources of Caucasus, but also the the safest, independent routes to Central Asia.

Considering the fact that Russia already has problems with supplying its customers during wintertime and their production is getting lower with badly allocated investments in the entire oil and gas sector we need to secure as many alternative paths as possible - not to mention the political consequences we would have to swallow if we stay idle.

We can all see that state controlled Russian suppliers are not so much concerned with effectiveness and profit, but with eliminating the competition giving them an enormous advantage in any future deals and that Kremlin is trying to meddle too much and too often - hardly to our benefit.
If it will be my country's task to drag the entire EU into more secure position so be it - I doubt anyone will really oppose it if it is done properly and with the 2005-2007 political cabaret over I am certain it will have to happen, or we sooner or later we will suffer.

The Eastern Partnership as an important way to secure EU interests works to our common benefit - of the EU, of the eastern states it targets and of Russia which will have to abandon imperialist dellusions and slowly become a normal country concerned more about the wellfare of its citizens than its Kremlin controlled energy exporters.