2014 KIRIM KRİZİ SONRASI AVRUPA BİRLİĞİ’NİN GÜVENLİK VE SAVUNMA POLİTİKASINDA DÖNÜŞÜM: RUSYA-UKRAYNA SAVAŞI BAĞLAMINDA BİR DEĞERLENDİRME
TRANSFORMATION IN THE EUROPEAN UNION’S SECURITY AND DEFENSE POLICY FOLLOWING THE 2014 CRIMEA CRISIS: AN ASSESSMENT IN THE CONTEXT OF THE RUSSIAUKRAINE WAR

Summary/Abstract: Following the end of the Cold War, significant transformations occurred in the European security architecture, leading the European Union (EU) to seek a more active role in security and defence affairs. Particularly after the Maastricht Treaty of 1992, the establishment of the Common Foreign and Security Policy and the development of the European Security and Defence Policy accelerated the institutionalization process of European security policies. However, the EU’s limited military capabilities, differences among member states, and dependence on NATO have hindered the establishment of a fully independent European security structure. These limitations became more visible especially after Russia’s annexation of Crimea in 2014 and its large-scale military intervention in Ukraine in 2022. The aim of this study is to examine the transformation of the European Union’s security and defence policies after the 2014 Crimea Crisis within the context of the Russia-Ukraine War. In this study, a qualitative research method was adopted, and literature review and document analysis techniques were employed. NATO summit declarations, European Union strategy documents, academic studies, and current reports were analyzed. The findings indicate that the RussiaUkraine War has reshaped the European Union’s security policies, increased defence spending, accelerated debates on strategic autonomy, and strengthened NATO’s central role in European security. Nevertheless, the study concludes that the European Union’s structural dependence on NATO in the field of security continues.

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