On October 28, Russian International Affairs Council brought together key Ukraine and Greater Europe experts to debate the forthcoming signing of the Ukraine-EU association agreement along with a possible Russia's response to the new situation. Distinguished Russian experts agreed that the need for Kiev to make a choice between Moscow and Brussels is, to a great extent, an artificially created problem. Ukraine is striving for a multi-vector foreign policy, pretending, to a certain degree, to become a leader of economic and political cooperation in Eurasia. Hence, there is no point in expecting Kiev to make the final decision.
On October 28, Russian International Affairs Council brought together key Ukraine and Greater Europe experts to debate the forthcoming signing of the Ukraine-EU association agreement along with a possible Russia's response to the new situation.
Distinguished Russian experts agreed that the need for Kiev to make a choice between Moscow and Brussels is, to a great extent, an artificially created problem. Ukraine is striving for a multi-vector foreign policy, pretending, to a certain degree, to become a leader of economic and political cooperation in Eurasia. Hence, there is no point in expecting Kiev to make the final decision.
Leading research fellow at RAS Institute of Social Sciences and Humanities Information, Alexey Miller, the moderator, asked a disputable question on why Russia is raising stakes in the current situation trying to make Ukraine take up the only vector, i.e. cooperation with the Customs Union. Deputy Director of the Ukrainian National Institute for Strategic Studies Alexander Litvinenko insisted on weighing risks and benefits of Kiev's Western and Eastern paths.
According to RIAC member, MGIMO-University Pro-Rector Artyom Malgin, the terms of association offered to Ukraine by the Customs Union are much tougher than those of the European Union. Gregory Trofimchuk of the Russian-Asian Union of Industrialists and Entrepreneurs suggested that Kiev should be made free to join the EU. Viktor Mironenko, head of Center for Ukrainian Studies at RAS Institute for European Studies, underlined that Kiev's choice of the European track should bring good to Russia since it is going to receive a politically stable and developed partner. Moreover, conditions for the Russia-Ukraine equal and mutually beneficial partnership are still to be created.
The participants came to the conclusion that emotional tensions around the problem are abnormal. According to Galina Lesnaya, President of Russian Association of Ukraine Scholars, the mutually negative perception of Russia and Ukraine at the citizens' level is rather a myth than a reality.
Seeing no problem in the Ukrainian "pendulum" policy, RIAC Program Director Ivan Timofeev suggested elaborating a roadmap for developing the relationship within the triangle Russia-Ukraine-Europe.
Photos from Debates
