Professor Joan DeBardeleben receives a grant from the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Europe to study The European Union鈥檚 Eastern Policy and the Ukraine Crisis: Causes and Impacts.
When the European Union was enlarged in 2004, its mission was to promote peace and prosperity through interdependence among neighbours. But the Ukraine crisis of 2014 challenged this perception.
鈥淩ussia鈥檚 strong reaction to events in Kiev took most analysts by surprise,鈥� says Professor DeBardeleben, a Professor in the Institute of European, Russian and Eurasian Studies and the Director of the Centre for European Studies. 鈥淚t was seen in the West as a disturbing violation of international law and of Ukraine鈥檚 sovereignty.鈥�
Professor DeBardeleben was awarded $114,000 for research that will examine the underlying causes of this unexpected development, which contradicted the EU鈥檚 initial policy goals. She will also study how EU leaders overlooked the geopolitical implications of their actions and how they are now reframing their policies based on this experience. She is currently on sabbatical in Germany, conducting interviews with public officials and experts, analyzing policy debates, legislation, policy statements, and media reports.
鈥淲e often look at things exclusively from the perspective of one side, but we need to understand the motivations behind the actions of other countries, as well.鈥�