For many years, the EU has been vocal about its ambition to become a powerful global actor. Finding a proper arrangement of relations with its biggest neighbour, Russia, has been the principal test of the viability of this aspiration. However, the recurrent crises Russia has triggered – especially the recent recognition of the breakaway republics […]
EU's Russia strategy: quo vadis?
The current danger of an escalation of tension in Ukraine raises many questions for the entire European continent. Among the questions the European Union will have to answer on its own is the one of its stance towards Russia.
The two authors of this debate agree very much on the need for dialogue, but differ on the sequences: while the former Hungarian MEP Gyula Hegyi warns of the threat of a Sino-Russian military alliance should the West let Russia drift away too far and argues that any partnership requires mutual understanding, respect, and dialogue, the former Czech Minister of Foreign Affairs, Tomáš Petříček, calls for the EU to have a very precise and coherent idea of its goals in Eastern Europe before stumbling into a dialogue of which it masters neither timing nor direction.
Load more
Looking at our globe from above the North Pole, we are shocked at how tiny our Europe is. Russia, however, our Eastern neighbour, seems to be a giant. And indeed, Russia’s territory and military capacities are gigantic by European measures. On the other hand, the population of the EU is more than three times bigger […]
Related articles
Turkey in its region: security first and ‘Make Turkey Great Again’
The mass attack by Hamas from the Gaza Strip to Israel, and Israel’s collective revenge-oriented response to it, offers an appropriate and timely case study to re-visit Turkey’s role in ‘the region’ by exposing its real constraints. It shows a certain mindset that when one speaks of ‘the region’, one does not think of the […]
Centennial celebrations in Turkey amidst polarisation
The Republic of Turkey is poised to mark its centennial on 29 October 2023, yet a palpable air of celebration appears conspicuously absent. While flags and posters dot the landscape, a handful of corporations are unveiling previously commissioned commemorative videos, and a select few musicians are debuting compositions in honour of the occasion, the prevailing […]
Despite the unprecedented Israeli-Palestinian crisis, new opportunities for peace emerge
More than a month since the deadly Hamas terror attack on Israel on 7 October, Israelis are processing the horrors, working to bring home more than 200 hostages, mobilising in mass numbers to support those in need, wishing for the safe return of soldiers and reservists, and yearning for a leader who can take responsibility, […]