The Ukrainian Crisis as a Challenge for the Eastern Partnership

Abstract

The chapter is devoted to the study of the Ukrainian crisis as a challenge for the EU Eastern Partnership. The hybrid war waged by Russia against Ukraine in Donbass, as well as the occupation and illegal annexation of Crimean peninsula by the Russian Federation, has led to a situation in which the traditional EU intentions toward the EaP came into dissonance with the new realities. These new challenges for the EaP require а proper response from the EU. Actually, this response could have been gleaned on the eve of the Riga Summit. Significant attention is paid to Ukraine’s expectations, the Russian factor, and the prospects of reforming the Eastern Partnership. The necessity of further differentiation of groups of countries according to the goals of their cooperation with the EU and for a clearer definition of their membership prospects that within such a differentiation becomes more appropriate is put forward in the chapter.