Written by Alexia Manduca
Modern day EU is often quoted as being; ‘the epitome of democracy and international liberalism in action’ and ‘a model to other states‘. However, this does not imply that the EU is perfect or without flaws. In analyzing the EU’s relations with Russia, we can begin to question this perception of the EU. Is the European Union living behind a façade of peace and democracy only to be hiding a darker reality?
Europe’s History
Europe was characterised by a mess of dynasties, short-lived alliances and war, for millenia. The accumulation of Europe’s violence in WWI and subsequently WWII which led to millions of deaths shows this. However, contemporary Europe has proven to be much more peaceful and stable as a region. Arguably, the stimulus for this was the assertion of liberal democracies and the creation of the European Union. In fact, the original aim for the creation of the EU was for states to collaborate in industrial sectors of coal and steel to make even the mere possibility of war, impossible. Therefore, the original aims of the founding fathers of the union were successful.
Russia’s History
Russia has a long-standing history of insecurity. Covering 11 % of the world’s total landmass, it is the largest country in the world. Therefore, it’s no surprise that geopolitics plays such an important role in Russia’s international relations. Prior to the creation of the EU, relations between European states and Russia fluctuated. The relationship was often hostile as rising European powers have invaded Russia on several occasions. Due to this, Russia has often dominated the nations on its borders to seek protection. This can be seen in the creation of the Eastern bloc during the Cold War.
Putin, as many Russian leaders before him, claims that Russia has a so-called ‘historic right’ to dominate this ‘buffer zone’. Why is this mentality still prevalent? At face value, the EU hasn’t shown an ounce of aggression in comparison to the past. Reviewing the unique relationship between Russia and the European Union might answer this question.
Relationship Dynamics: Russia and The EU
Since 1997 the EU’s political and economic relations with Russia have been based on the Partnership and Cooperation Agreement. This agreement has made the EU Russia’s most important economic partner. It has also made Russia the EU’s fifth largest trading partner as well. The EU is also the largest collective investor in Russia, owning ~75% of stocks in 2018. On paper EU-Russian relations seem to be stable and prospering, however these strong economic ties hide a more unstable reality.
Russian leaders view the very creation and existence of the EU and the admission of Russia’s border states into the union in an extremely negative light. Despite good initial relations, the rise of Putin has led to some stark changes in the Kremlin’s attitude towards the EU. This boils down to Russia’s historic claim over a ‘sphere of influence’ over Eastern Europe; a region now populated by numerous EU member states. Russian-EU bilateral relations are largely shaped by the fact that the EU is increasingly encroaching on Russia’s border and challenging this historic claim.
Is Russia acting out of instinctive paranoia or is the EU actually posing a threat to Russian security and interests?
Russia’s 2014 annexation of Crimea and Russia’s 2014 invasion of Ukraine are not dissimilar to Soviet Russia’s invasion of its periphery in the second half of the 20th century. Were these initiatives simply Russia’s reaction to the overarching policies of the EU in this area? It is arguable that Putin was simply defending Russia from European states as so many Russian leaders did before him.
What about the Economic Ties?
Even economic ties between the two are somewhat ambiguous . Russia’s economic interests were being viewed as increasingly threatened by The EU’s Eastern Partnership. A clear example is that following the enactment of the Lisbon Treaty in 2009. Russia could no longer develop bilateral trade agreements with EU states as it did previously and had to negotiate through the European Commission. Increased authority over trade policies was also given to The European Parliament. This negatively impacted Russian economic policies. The Kremlin prefers to negotiate directly with individual member states, where Russia would have more leverage in any negotiation.
The EU’s Third Energy package also negatively affected Russia’s economic interests. It aimed at diversifying EU sources of natural gas which reduced Russian profits from its gas exports. The current debacle going over the NordStream 2 gas pipeline connecting Russia to Germany exemplifies this geopolitical tension.
Concluding Words
The relationship between Russia and the EU is a complicated one. It is full of contradictions making it difficult to interpret the stances taken by both sides. The basis of Russian foreign policy towards the EU is largely shaped by its historical memory and a sense of paranoia towards the region. Despite having largely positive economic relations, the sphere of security in the Russian government views the enlargement of the EU towards the East as threatening. They believe it’s threatening the very makeup of Russian defense and also challenging Russia’s historical interests in the region. Is the EU being inconsiderate towards Russian strategic interests or is the Russian government simply being paranoid?
Check this piece we had written a while back on European Youth- Why Don’t We Care?
