POLICY DEBATE | EU-Russia Relations in 2021 and beyond: Towards a New Cold War?

It almost seems surreal: Less than 20 years ago, in his first mandate as president, W. Putin was a frequent visitor to Brussels, even raising the question of an EU accession for Russia. Today, EU-Russia relations are at an all-time low. Since 2014, they have increasingly deteriorated following Russia’s annexation of Crimea, destabilisation and on-going tensions in and around eastern Ukraine, and, more recently, the last failed visits of HR/VP Borrell in Moscow, and the Russian military build-up. Navalny’s case and Russian disruptive activities are yet other examples of political amnesia which make forging a relationship (beyond trade) with Russia so challenging.

Yet, isn’t the EU also responsible for pushing Russia into a corner by contributing to the feeling in Russian public opinion that the West is, in principle, hostile to Russia? Isn’t there a “double standard” approach of the EU considering the more positive relationships of the bloc with other authoritarian regimes like Turkey or China?

While it is widely acknowledged that cooperation with Russia is necessary as we face common global challenges, the EU remains deeply divided in its approach to Moscow and struggles to bring Russia (back) to the table. The last report of the Commission and summit of the European Council in June 2021have both portrayed how difficult EU-Russia relations are today. The last headlines were about sanctions and retorsions only, while the recent Franco- German initiative to re-engage with Moscow through constructive dialogue got largely refuted at the summit.

What are the prospects of the EU-Russia relationship? Are we sliding into a new cold war? What can a new perspective for a long-term partnership with the largest country of Europe look like? To answer these and many other questions, Vocal Europe invites you to an expert roundtable on Monday, 19 July 2021. The panel aims to analyse the EU-Russia relations from diverse perspectives and to exchange expectations on a new pragmatic approach of Brussels towards Moscow.

Time: Monday, 19 July 2021, 11:00 – 12:30

Venue: Zoom