Russia’s Perceptions of the European Union as an Actor in the Shared Neighbourhood Before and During the Ukraine Conflict

Abstract

This article draws on the argument that systematic consideration of the perceptions held at the level of foreign policy-makers can enrich the understanding of Self-Other identity interactions. This research examines the evolution of the discursive dialogue between the EU’s self-portrayals as an actor in the shared neighbourhood and as an actor in the Ukrainian crisis and its external perceptions in Russia. In focus are the EU’s and Russia’s political narratives formulated and communicated from 2003 to 2015. The analysis shows a leading trend of Russia challenging the EU’s predominantly self-ingratiating images thus refusing to sediment the EU’s self-proclaimed identity as a distinctive actor. In turn, the EU’s inattention to its ‘mirror’ images has led to the self-reinforcing cycle of reciprocal mis – and non-recognition of Russia as the constitutive Other in the EU identity formation. These patterns have contributed to the escalation in the discursive clashes between the two actors during the Russia-Ukraine conflict. the EU, Russia, external perceptions, discourse