Current state of the relations between Russia and the European Union

What is it about?

The relations between the European Union (EU) and Russia have been tense since Russia’s historical conflict with Ukraine. In a workshop held in 2018, many scholars met and discussed the evolution of the EU-Russia relations over time. The authors of this book studied these discussions to understand how the EU's Global Strategy on Foreign and Security Policy affects these relations. Additionally, they studied five principles that guide EU’s relations with Russia. These include: • Upholding sanctions regime and the Minsk agreements • Developing relations with Eastern partners • Developing resilience to Russian threats • Achieving selective engagement with Russia • Promoting relations with Russia’s civil society Finally, they discussed how the Ukraine crisis has affected the EU-Russia relations. They also explored common challenges in applying these principles for the improvement of EU-Russia relations. They found that most scholars see little hope for an improvement in these relations. This is because of the lack of cooperation or a common vision between the two parties. Moreover, the EU and Russia hold very different views on most matters, including on the events in Ukraine. Most scholars agree that the current state of EU-Russia relations is a consequence of many years of descent and did not start from the Ukraine crisis.

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Photo by Christian Lue on Unsplash

Photo by Christian Lue on Unsplash

Why is it important?

This analysis provides a holistic and interdisciplinary picture of the current state of relations between EU and Russia. Based on the views of multiple scholars, it highlights that a strategic revision of the EU's Global Strategy and the five principles is required for any progress to occur. This clear and informative idea of the challenges faced in improving EU-Russia relations can come in handy if both parties ever decide to mend their relations and regain each other's trust. KEY TAKEAWAY: This book discusses the principles that guide the EU-Russia relations and the challenges faced in applying them for the improvement of these relations. It highlights important views of different scholars and researchers on this issue. In the future, this analysis can help in improving the EU-Russia relations in a realistic manner.