The European Union’s smart power in the context of the Russia-Ukrainian war

Abstract

This thesis’ fundamental claim evaluates the EU's diplomatic role since its establishment and evolution, considering the global adoption of diplomatic strategies since the inception of power. As such, the plethora of smart power methods utilised by the European Union in responding to the Russia-Ukraine crisis will be inherently and amply examined. This will materialise in order to assess the efficacy of the EU’s smart power diplomatic approach, which has been closely associated with the foreign policy of its 27 member states. In this respect, to a certain degree, the EU has successfully persuaded its 27 member states to align their contrasting national foreign policy preferences to an EU level, which they all endorsed during the Russia-Ukraine war. The EU has faced criticism up until February 24, 2022, for prioritising instruments above strategy and for not employing its full range of geopolitical leverage tools. The war in Ukraine serves as a harsh reminder to the Bloc. Since the union's past as a peace initiative should not stop it from acting strategically, a geopolitical awakening was set in motion with the merging of both soft and hard power variables through a combination of civilian and smart power instruments. As such, this geopolitical awakening has been long anticipated. However, how long-lasting is this geopolitical shift? The European security system is being irrevocably altered by Russia's invasion of Ukraine, and the EU needs to take back control of its political, strategic, and energy future via its smart power full chess-board. A comprehensive overview of the power and smart power theoretical framework follows in this sense. The evolution of foreign policy is then developed alongside the elements of uploading and downloading in the thesis' second chapter. The origins of the EU, its subsequent development, the adoption of power and foreign policy, and its involvement in the Russia-Ukraine issue will all be covered in detail shortly thereafter. The conclusions drawn from the thesis will precisely determine the extent to which the EU has proven capable of employing its diplomatic smart power to defuse the situation between Russia and Ukraine. Additionally, whereas the efficacy of sanctions in resolving the war in Ukraine appears dubious, they are nevertheless iconic foreign policy tools, expressing a united front versus Russian aggression and disdain for international standards. Simultaneously, the bloc's reaction to the turmoil has resulted in a substantial shift in its foreign policy and enlargement agenda, reflecting its acknowledgement of Ukraine's critical nature.