ISSUE: 2/2025
- Volume 29
- Number 2
- 2025
Subscribe NEWSLETTER
Studia Europejskie –
Studies in European Affairs
ISSN: 1428-149X
e-ISSN: 2719-3780
License
Articles published in the journal are under a Creative Commons Attribution – Non Commercial – No Derivatives 4.0 International License
Publication co-financed by Ministry of Science and Higher Education pursuant to the Regulation of the Minister of Education and Science of 3 August 2021 (Journal of Laws of 2021, item 1514) on the “Development of Scientific Journals” programme.
Publikacja dofinansowana przez Ministerstwo Nauki i Szkolnictwa Wyższego na podstawie rozporządzenia Ministra Edukacji i Nauki z 3 sierpnia 2021 r. (Dz. U. z 2021 r. poz. 1514) w sprawie programu „Rozwój czasopism naukowych”.
Publication co-financed by the University of Warsaw within the “Excellence Initiative – Research University” programme.
Czasopismo otrzymało dofinasowanie w ramach Programu „Inicjatywa Doskonałości – Uczelnia Badawcza”.
The Eastern Partnership of the European Union. From Polish-Swedish Initiative to a Unified Approach Toward Eastern Neighbours: The Case of Ukraine
Abstract
This paper examines the transformation of the European Union’s Eastern Partnership (EaP) in light of Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine and the shifting geopolitical realities of Eastern Europe. Launched in 2009 to promote democratic reforms and closer EU integration among six eastern neighbours – Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Georgia, Moldova, and Ukraine – the EaP now faces a fundamental reassessment of its goals and relevance. Ukraine’s candidacy for EU membership, formalised in 2022 and advanced by the decision to open accession talks in 2023, marks a turning point in the EU’s neighbourhood policy. The paper explores how the war has altered the security architecture of the region, exposed the EU’s strategic vulnerabilities, and forced a recalibration of its external engagement strategies. Ukraine’s path to EU membership, while symbolically significant, remains fraught with political, legal, and institutional challenges, particularly amid ongoing conflict. The study argues that the future of the EaP depends on its ability to adapt to these complex dynamics, evolving from a normative framework into a more pragmatic, security-oriented platform that reflects the urgent demands of the post-2022 European order. By focusing on Ukraine’s pivotal role, the paper highlights broader implications for EU enlargement, regional security, and the Union’s role as a global actor.
References
Barburska, O. (2017) “The New Challenges vs. Old Formulas: What Would Make the European Union a Greater Global Player?”, Journal of Liberty and International Affairs. Vol. 3 (Supp. 1), pp. 26–54. Available at: https://e-jlia.com/index.php/jlia/article/view/90 (Access 26.04.2025).
Jankowski, P.D. and Stępniewski, T. (eds.) (2023) “Central and Eastern Europe: NATO’s New Centre of Gravity”, Prace Instytutu Europy Środkowej. No. 6, pp. 7–21. Available at: https://ies.lublin.pl/wp-content/uploads/2023/12/prace_ies_nr_2023-006.pdf (Access 26.04.2025).
Jankowski, P.D. and Stępniewski, T. (eds.) (2024) “The 2024 NATO Summit: Priorities for Transatlantic Security”, Prace Instytutu Europy Środkowej. No. 1, pp. 41–52. Available at: https://ies.lublin.pl/ies-policy-papers/pp2024-001/ (Access 26.04.2025).
Krastev, I. (2015) “How to avoid Europe’s disintegration”, New Eastern Europe. No. 5, p. 8.
Lachowski, T. and Stępniewski, T. (2023) “Russia’s War on Ukraine: Geopolitics, International Law, and Genocide”, Prace Instytutu Europy Środkowej. No. 10. Available at: https://ies.lublin.pl/prace/pr-2023-010/ (Access 26.04.2025).
Rotfeld, A.D. (2014) „Porządek międzynarodowy. Parametry zmiany”, Sprawy Międzynarodowe. Vol. 67(4), p. 47.
Schimmelfennig, F., Leuffen, D. and Rittberger, B. (2015) “The European Union as a system of differentiated integration: interdependence, politicization and differentiation”, Journal of European Public Policy. Vol. 22(6). DOI: 10.1080/13501763.2015.1020835.
Stępniewski, T. (2011) Geopolityka regionu Morza Czarnego w pozimnowojennym świecie. Lublin–Warsaw: Instytut Europy Środkowo-Wschodniej, pp. 295–320.
Stępniewski, T. (2020) Wschodnia flanka Sojuszu Północnoatlantyckiego in Paruch, W., Pietraś, M. and Surmacz, B. (eds.) Sojusz Północnoatlantycki w środowisku niepewności i zmiany. Dwadzieścia lat członkostwa Polski. Warszawa: Wydawnictwo Sejmowe, pp. 117–145.
Stępniewski, T. (2022) “The Russia-Ukraine War, NATO’s Eastern Flank, and Ukrainian Refugees in Central Europe”, Studia Europejskie – Studies in European Affairs. Vol. 26(2), pp. 7–15. DOI: 10.33067/SE.2.2022.1.
Stępniewski, T. (2023) “Conflict as a Strategic Imperative in Putin’s Political Agenda: A Fundamental Component of Russia’s Strategic Framework”, Studia Europejskie – Studies in European Affairs. Vol. 27(4), pp. 57–69. DOI: 10.33067/SE.4.2023.4.
Stępniewski, T. (2024) Ukraine and the European Union: navigating relations in the shadow of war in Olchowski, J. and Surmacz, B. (eds.) West-gravitating strategic reorientation of Ukraine as a key factor of Central European security. Lublin: Instytut Europy Środkowej, “IEŚ Policy Papers” No. 10. Available at: https://ies.lublin.pl/ies-policy-papers/pp2024-010/ (Access 24.05.2025).
Stewart, S. (2024) “Ukraine during the Russian War of Aggression. The Nexus between Internal Developments and EU Accession”, SWP Research Paper. No. 13. Available at: www.swp-berlin.org (Access 26.03.2025).
Umland, A. (2015) “The global impact of the “Ukraine Crisis”. Russia’s decline and Euro-Asiatic security in the early 21st century”, Krytyka Magazine. Available at: http://krytyka.com/en/articles/global-impact-ukraine-crisis-russias-decline-and-euro-asiatic-security-early-21st-century#sthash.ufEIB3S9.dpuf (Access 10.10.2024).
Webber, D. (2014) “How likely is it that the European Union will disintegrate? A critical analysis of competing theoretical perspectives”, European Journal of International Relations. Vol. 20(2). DOI: 10.1177/1354066112461286.
Zięba, R. (2014) „Międzynarodowe implikacje kryzysu ukraińskiego”, Stosunki Międzynarodowe – International Relations. Vol. 50(2), p. 15.
DOI: 10.33067/SE.2.2025.6
Language: English
Pages: 123-134
How to Cite:
Harvard
Stępniewski, T. (2025) "The Eastern Partnership of the European Union. From Polish-Swedish Initiative to a Unified Approach Toward Eastern Neighbours: The Case of Ukraine". Studia Europejskie – Studies in European Affairs, 2/2025, pp. 123-134. DOI: 10.33067/SE.2.2025.6