A Ukrainian Perspective on the EU-Russia Relationship
A Ukrainian Perspective on the EU-Russia Relationship

Author(s): Iryna Solonenko
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; foreign policy; Ukraine; perspective;
Summary/Abstract: The EU-Russia relationship, although it has a strong bilateral component in its own right, is developing in a more multifaceted context, where common neighbourhood has played an increasingly important role. Ukraine is the key country in the EU-Russia neighbourhood region. First, Ukraine has actually set a model for the EU's relationship with other partner countries in the East: the evolution of ENP and the launch of the Eastern Partnership (EaP) have shown that the EU has been moving toward offering its Eastern neighbours the policy tools it has already offered to Ukraine. Judging from the development of the EU-Ukraine relationship one can therefore understand which way the EU is actually moving in its EaP. Second, the importance of Ukraine to Russia compared with other post-Soviet neighbours is rather high. Ukrainian independence already limits Russia's traditional sphere of influence and thus encourages Russia to reconsider its self-perception.

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