ABSTRACT
The end of the Cold War resulted in substantial changes for regional politics, giving more opportunities for the European great powers. During the Cold War Europe was an arena of confrontation between the two superpowers, which effectively divided Europe along the line ‘from Stettin in the Baltic to Trieste in the Adriatic’ (Churchill 1946) and minimized the role of the European great powers. Today the European states, brought together under the European Union (EU) framework, have regained their influence in the region, creating debates about ‘fortress Europe’ and giving little floor for those states that were left behind in the European integration process and by mainstream European politics. Russia found itself among the outsiders and had to find a way to cope with the political and economic consequences of this situation and to secure its role in European politics. On the one hand, it inherited from the USSR membership in international organizations, including a permanent seat on the UN Security Council and CSCE, nuclear weapons, Soviet property abroad and substantial natural resources. On the other hand, Russia was challenged by political and economic crises, tremendous national debt, a reputation as a state with imperial ambitions, and complicated relations with a number of countries in Central and Eastern Europe. The Russian Government decided to rely on international institutions, either participating in them or reinforcing relationships with them, and on bilateral relations with major European countries. The relationship with the EU was considered an important direction for Russian foreign policy. In order to ensure the stability of this relationship, it should be based on shared values and common interests and arranged in the framework of an institutional structure.
