ABSTRACT

The authors analyse the evolution of Russia–European Union (EU) relations since the beginning of the 1990s: the moment when both the Russian Federation as a sovereign state and the EU emerged. Some references to the Soviet period as well as varying perspectives on the history of the relationship serve as a starting point. The main goal is to highlight the role of the history of Russia–EU relations in shaping the relations of today. The authors trace the evolution of the attitude of both parties to their relationship while paying attention to whether cooperation, competition or rivalry has prevailed. This history is divided into three phases: 1990s–2004, 2005–2014 and 2014 to present. The authors analyse the importance of political, economic and social factors in each of the periods. The main conclusion is that the evolution of Russia–EU relations, related mostly to political determinants, impacts considerably present-day relations between the parties.