Współpraca, rywalizacja czy konflikt? Stosunki Unii Europejskiej i Federacji Rosyjskiej

• Authors: Katarzyna Przybyła

Title variants

EN

Cooperation, Competition or Conflict? Relations between the European Union and the Russian Federation

• Languages of publication: PL

Abstracts

EN

The article is an attempt to present the relations between the Russian Federation and the European Union in the transition period between the international order that has just finished and the one that is developing. The author analyzes the relations between the parties on the political, military, national and international security related, economic and social planes and also presents optimal scenarios of the relations in the future. In order to do that she uses such research methods as comparative and critical analysis of available literature and resource materials. The analysis of the relations between the Russian Federation and the European Union lets the author draw a concussion that they are important for both political players, especially in relation with the perspective of winning or maintaining the position of a leading actor. Therefore, a conflict between Brussels and Moscow and too fierce rivalry would not be advantageous. Both international players, Russia and the European Union, realize that their co-operation – especially in connection with external threats – can be mostly beneficial. An issue that complicates the bilateral relations is the asymmetry of the parties. Russia is a state that has been a superpower for ages and – in spite of some economic problems – still holds this position. The European Union, on the other hand, is only an international organization, which - although it already is an international legal entity - is striving to join the “club of the chosen”. It is strong economically but not politically. Disproportions between the European Union and Russia also exist both in the military field and the social sphere (the systems of the parties’ values). However, the future of their relations depends mainly on the route they will choose in the nearest future. Thus it depends on whether and to what extend the political integration will prove to be successful for the European Union (what kind of integration the member states will approve of) as well as what development route and what system of values the Russian Federation will decide to choose. None of the options has been determined yet. However, it is certain that Russia’s starting position is better: it is a master of political games while the European Union seems to be continually too naïve.

Keywords

EN

European Union; Russian Federation; strategic partnership; international security

• Publisher: Uczelnia Łazarskiego. Oficyna Wydawnicza
• Journal: Myśl Ekonomiczna i Polityczna
• Year: 2011
• Issue: 1-2(32-33)
• Pages: 128-150

Contributors

author

Katarzyna Przybyła

• International Relations at Lazarski University in Warsaw