The EU foreign policy and Europeanisation in the Context of Russia – Ukraine War: the case of EU – Georgia Relations

The crisis generated by the Russian invasion of Ukraine revived populist voices and emphasized the principle of democratization through Europeanization in the EU's foreign policy. Democratization, together with EU accession, is still the main objective of a group of ex-communist states in Eastern Europe. The Republic of Moldova and Ukraine received candidate status in 2022. The European Council's refusal to grant this status to Georgia as well, despite reforms undertaken there, highlighted once again the fact that Eastern Europe remains a space of ideological confrontation. Russia does not accept independence in the foreign policy of the ex-Soviet republics. On the other hand, the contradictions in the internal politics of the European Union, and the divergent perceptions of its foreign policy towards the Eastern European space, are also reflected in the projections of its enlargement policy. This study seeks to evaluate the EU – Georgia cooperation from the perspective of democratization through Europeanization, and the perceptions generated both inside the EU institutions, but also among relevant populist movements. The study aims therefore to address questions about the extent to which populism influences the process of Europeanisation in the EU's relations with Georgia in the context of the war in Ukraine.