Soft Power Path Towards Hard Power War: Eastern Partnership after Annexation of Crimea by the Russian Federation
Journal: Digital Repository (National Repository of Grey Literature)
Year: 2025

This thesis examines the effectiveness of the European Union's Eastern Partnership (EaP) in promoting democratic development and resisting Russian influence in its eastern neighborhood, particularly in Georgia and Ukraine. Framed by theories of neo-functionalism, social constructivism, and the concept of soft power, the study critically assesses how EU policies based on values-driven soft power have withstood the geopolitical pressures posed by Russia's use of hard power, especially following th