the Effects of the Eu-Russia Relations on the Eastern Partnership

The European Union (EU) is an active player in the international arena. The most complex network of its relations is with Russia. Although contractual relations were established between the EU and Russia in the post-Cold War period, relations have entered a difficult period over time. Casier (2016) calls the period between 2004 and 2013 as the stage of competition. EU-Russia relations have the potential to affect not only the two sides but also various initiatives. For example, the Russian factor is discussed in the EU's Eastern Partnership (EaP) initiative, which was launched in 2009. Although researches on this subject have been intensively done, there is no holistic study examining the effect of EU-Russia relations on the EaP. The main research topic of this research proposal is to examine whether EU-Russia relations have an impact on the EU's policy towards EaP. This impact is evaluated on the basis of the normative power. This research address the foreign policy approaches of the EU and Russia. In other words, by the way of the EU's normative power approach and Russia's "normative offensive" approach their foreign policy perspectives are examined. It will be researched whether the relations of actors with liberal and conservative approaches have a normative effect on the EU's EaP policy. Democracy, rule of law and respect for human rights and fundamental freedoms are discussed as main values in the policy. Discourse, funding and tools/mechanisms are examined to analyze these norms. This research provides both a general and detailed answer to the research question by examining the general framework of the EaP. This research analyzes any changes in the EaP in the light of the EU-Russia relations between 2009-2025.