ABSTRACT
This chapter reviews the postcolonial approach to the study of the EU–Russia relationship. The use of the postcolonial lens is not yet common in this field; however, there is a growing number of publications focusing on related topics. Based on the contemporary academic discussion about orientalism and subaltern studies, the chapter projects the recent scholarly debates about colonial legacies onto the structure of the relations in the triangle of the Europe–Russia–post-soviet space. It matches the Western discussions about eurocentrism in the theory and practice of international relations with an analysis of the literature emphasising Russia’s ambivalent position as both a subaltern in the Western normative field and a coloniser in the post-soviet space. Theoretical arguments are illustrated with a review of studies focusing on the contemporary relations between the EU and Russia, conditioned by the Ukraine crisis, as well as those analysing the documents and initiatives that determined the structure of the relationship, such as the Partnership and Cooperation Agreement, European Neighbourhood Policy, Partnership for Modernisation and the EU’s Global Strategy.
