ABSTRACT
This chapter seeks to map EU–Russia–US relations since the end of the Cold War, highlighting the issues that make relations both a challenge and an opportunity. In the analysis of the ups and downs in these relations, the chapter makes a twofold argument. First, there have been different visions of the international order between these actors that have shaped disagreement and contributed to the lack of trust, as the emptiness of the partnership agreements between the EU and the United States with Russia demonstrates. Second, there have been unintended consequences of policies drafted for inclusiveness and more security in Europe, which ended up leading to feelings of exclusion and insecurity, well exemplified in Russia’s positioning towards the enlargement of the EU and particularly of NATO. The chapter first maps relations between these three major players over time, showing how dynamics of cooperation and competition have persisted in their relations; then it briefly focuses on security as a topical issue area in these relationships, grappling with these actors’ readings of the European security architecture and the management of security issues. Finally, it discusses possible future developments in the face of a strained context.
