The Not-so-Common Space of External Security: Interests, Fears and the Way Out
The Not-so-Common Space of External Security: Interests, Fears and the Way Out

Author(s): Lucia Najšlová
Subject(s): Politics, Political history, International relations/trade, Security and defense, Transformation Period (1990 - 2010), EU-Approach / EU-Accession / EU-Development
Published by: Research Center of the Slovak Foreign Policy Association (RC SFPA)
Keywords: EU; Russia; relations; foreign policy; security; interests;
Summary/Abstract: External security has been the most contested area of EURF cooperation in the framework of Common spaces and has brought only limited results. In analysing what went wrong it is essential to take into account the broader context of EU-Russia relations. We argue that the tension between the European Union and the Russian federation can to a large extent be explained by the difference in standards of their domestic governance. Russia's quest to be treated as "equal" to other contemporary great powers is unlikely to find fulfilment unless the EU and the US (those to which Russia wants to be equal), perceive Russia's domestic governance to be similar to their own.1 Russia already is a respected partner with a considerable say on international events - in the end, it is a UN Security Council member - but if it aspires to more than the status of an ally with which others have to pragmatically cooperate, it needs to throw in more than occasional demonstrations of military power or energy reserves and will have to pursue earnest and thorough domestic liberalization.

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