The EU’s Invisible Diplomacy:The European Parliament’s External Action in the Lead-Up to the Ukraine Crisis
Journal: Archive of European Integration (AEI) (University of Pittsburgh)
Year: 2015

Considering the role of the European Union (EU) in stabilizing Ukraine, current events tend to point to two types of EU actions: military and economic. On the military side, the EU has been labeled an albatross: it has been criticized for failing to do enough to deter Russian aggression in Crimea and Eastern Ukraine—critiques that echo views about past EU weakness in the Balkans, in Libya, or even in Syria. On the economic side, the EU is seen at least as a potential phoenix. It was clearly at t