&lt;b&gt;EU partners or EU members: EU enlargement in Moldova, Ukraine and the Western Balkans&lt;/b&gt;
Journal: Australian and New Zealand Journal of European Studies
Year: 2025

Following the 2004-2007 ‘Big Bang’ enlargement, the European Union turned away from further enlargement prospects. Projects such as the European Neighbourhood Policy were launched with the express goal of limiting enlargement and outstanding enlargement commitments were neglected. The EU’s apathy towards enlargement seemed to change in February 2022, following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. Ukraine applied for membership four days after Russia’s invasion, with Moldova and Georgia following less t