Агресивна зовнішня політика РФ та нездатність ЄС остаточно відійти від “політики умиротворення” як ключові виклики для реалізації “Східного партнерства”

Abstract

For a long time, the so-called “New Eastern Europe” was not a point of the EU’s leadership and the leading European capitals interest. The situation has started to change since 2004, when Ukraine became a direct neighbor of the EU. The Polish-Swedish initiative received serious support from Brussels after Russian aggression in Georgia. However, the EU continued to operate in Eastern Europe taking into account Moscow's interests even over the next few years after the Eastern Partnership started. Brussels gave up on the principle “Russia first” only after the Malaysia Airlines tragedy (July 17, 2014). After that, more stringent sanctions against Russia were introduced, which, despite economic losses and resistance from some members of the EU, continue every year. On the other hand, Eastern Partnership countries, which demonstrated their readiness to deepen cooperation with Brussels, received wide and diverse support both within and beyond the framework of the initiative. At the same time, while analyzing relations in the EU ‒ Russia ‒ Eastern Partnership countries triangle, the situation should not be idealized. We are witnessing that Russia itself forms the agenda for this triangle according to the specifics of both domestic and international processes. The EU quite clearly identifies the threats from Moscow. However, there is a problem with adequate steps in response. Such a situation in which the EU does not find a proper way to respond to the challenges and threats to its interests in the Eastern Partnership region is threatening. A lack of effective mechanisms of a proper response to Moscow’s aggressive acts, and sometimes just a lack of political will for a rigid position, dampen the EU's international credibility and threaten with its transformation into foreign-policy outsider in the framework of current globalized world. At the same time, there is a threat to the states that are trying to get closer to the EU, due to the possibility of Russia acting against them according to its interests and contrary to international law and the Brussels position, and that no restrictions would prevent such steps.