ABSTRACT
The story of Europe-Russia relations is a story about complicated and dynamic processes of change in both Europe and Russia. Since the dissolution of the Soviet Union, Russia has been engaged in a lengthy reform process and the challenges facing Russian leaders have been multiple. The sovereignty of theRussian state had to be established andmaintained, while the political, legal and economic system has been going through deep and fundamental changes. At the same time, Russian leaders have needed the support of Russia’s population, and these processes have proved difficult to combine. During the past two decades, Europe has been going through deep-seated changes as well. Most importantly, for many Europe has become synonymous with the European Union (EU), which can be explained by the parallel process of the Union’s expansion and deepening over the last two decades. The EU has expanded to include 27 Member States. Central and East European states are now members, as are the three former Soviet republics of Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania. Additionally, the EU has reformed its internal decision-making procedures, expanded its jurisdiction in relation to theMember States, and, with the establishment of a president and a foreign policy spokesperson, marked its role as a global player to be of some note. Taking this into account, one can easily understand the challenges that both the EU and Russia are facing in terms of developing a policy towards one another. Both parties are struggling to learn more about the other while constantly redefining their self-image, interests and formal settings. Both also have a global position to protect and build.
