Hybrid geopolitics in EU-Russia relations: understanding the persistence of conflict and cooperation

Abstract

Mainstream analyses of relations between the European Union (EU) and Russia have seen impressive proliferation since 2014 with an emphasis on the perceived rise of geopolitics as a key driving factor on the European continent. In this background, the article analyses the way the rise of geopolitics has affected the conflict and cooperation dichotomy in EU-Russia relations. It contends, that the role of geopolitics in the security architecture of the European continent is characterised by continuity, as its pervasive effects have constrained the agency and autonomy of both Russia and the EU. The growing number of studies on EU-Russia relations tend to employ a classical or traditional understanding of geopolitics, which emphasises the importance of power projection and geographical space in states' behavior in world politics. In contrast, the article argues that both Russia and the EU have developed distinct and hybrid approaches of geopolitics.