Since the outbreak of the conflict over Ukraine, first with Russia’s annexation of Crimea and second by the ongoing separatist violence in the Donbas, the European Union has developed a two-track approach: a combination of sanctions and dialogue. This approach must be credited for maintaining European and transatlantic unity. Put differently, it has prevented internal divisions within the west from triggering political and policy paralysis.
But it does not add up to a vision or a strategy. Moving forward, how should the EU re-think its approach towards Russia?
Two track approach
The eruption and escalation of the conflict over Ukraine caught the European Union by surprise. And yet, when Russia annexed Crimea in March 2014, the EU did respond promptly by condemning Russia’s aggression, suspending bilateral talks on visa matters and a new EU-Russia agreement, outlining possible restrictive measures in the absence of de-escalation.
