Principled Pragmatism in Practice: The EU’s Policy towards Russia after Crimea(19 Studies in EU External Relations)

As the EU’s relations with Russia remain at an all-time low and continue to be in a state of paralysis, marked by de-institutionalisation, inertia and estrangement, the EU’s policy towards Russia seems up for review. By taking stock of the implementation of the EU’s Global Strategy and the five principles that are guiding EU-Russia relations, this volume provides a forward-looking angle and contributes to a better understanding of the current EU-Russia relationship and the prospects for overcoming the existing deadlock. By bringing together European and Russian scholars and adopting an interdisciplinary perspective that combines insights from EU studies, international relations, and European and international law, the book provides a comprehensive and holistic view on the state of affairs in EU-Russia relations.

Table of Contents:
Preface List of Abbreviations List of Illustrations Notes on Contributors General Introduction From Strategic Partner to Strategic Challenge: In Search of an EU Policy towards Russia   Peter Van Elsuwege and Fabienne Bossuyt part 1 The Minsk Agreements and the Sanctions Regime in EU-Russia Relations 1 The Minsk Agreements Has the Glimmer of Hope Faded?   Sebastiaan Van Severen 2 The role of EU Member States and the Future of EU-Russia Relations Disentangling the role of Germany and the Netherlands in EU Decision-Making on Relations with Russia since the Ukraine Crisis   Tony van der Togt 3 Two Monologues Don’t Make a Dialogue The EU’s and Russia’s Strategic Narratives about the Minsk Agreements and Sanctions Regime   Irina Petrova 4 The Punitive Effect of the EU’s Restrictive Measures against Russia A Help or a Hindrance for Principled Pragmatism?   Alexandra Hofer 5 The EU-Russia Sanctions Regime before the Court of Justice of the EU   Kirill Entin 6 The Impact of the Adjudication of Sanctions against Russia before the Court of Justice of the EU   Celia Challet part 2 EU-Russia Relations and the Shared Neighbourhood 7 Armenia A Precarious Navigation between Eurasian Integration and the European Union   Laure Delcour and Narine Ghazaryan 8 The EU and the De Facto States of the East European Periphery Constraints in International and European Law   Benedikt Harzl 9 The EU’s and Russia’s Visa Diplomacy in a Contested Neighbourhood   Igor Merheim-Eyre part 3 EU Resilience to Russian Threats 10 The EU’s Concept of Resilience in the Context of EU-Russia Relations   Elena Pavlova and Tatiana Romanova 11 The EU’s Energy Relationship with Russia Between Resilience and Engagement   Marco Siddi 12 Addressing Cyber Security Threats from Russia in the EU   Andreas Marazis part 4 Selective Engagement with Russia 13 Countering Transnational Security Threats: Prospects for EU-Russia Cooperation in an Era of Sanctions   Olga Potemkina 14 Conditions for Effective Selective Engagement Greening Russia’s Energy Sector   Niels Smeets 15 The Arctic as a Micro-Cosmos for Selective Engagement between the EU and Russia?   Thomas Kruessmann part 5 Supporting Russian Civil Society and People-to-People Contacts 16 Principled Pragmatism and Civil Society in the EU Policies Towards Russia   Elena Belokurova and Andrey Demidov 17 A Crisis or a Turning Point? EU Cultural Relations with Russia after Crimea   Domenico Valenza 18 The Integration of Russia in the European Higher Education Area Challenges and Opportunities   Natalia Leskina  General Conclusion The Five Guiding Principles for the EU’s Relations with Russia: In Need of Revision?   Fabienne Bossuyt and Peter Van Elsuwege Index