Ukraine Was Not the Tipping Point: Russia- European Union Relations

Abstract

The European Union and Russia have had conflictual relations since their founding. However, in recent years this has escalated to a great extent. Despite early hopes for strong cooperation after the fall of the Soviet Union, this has not come to fruition. Due to the actions of Russia’s President Vladimir Putin in Ukraine, these relations have nearly halted altogether. However, this thesis argues that the partnership between the European Union and Russia was already fractured due to the poor economy in Russia, the rise of Russian nationalism, and European enlargement. My conclusion is that the Russian Federation and the European Union would have inevitably clashed and that Ukraine was not the tipping point in their relationship.