The Association Agreement: Trilateralisation amidst War

Abstract

This chapter examines Russia’s efforts to stymie the conclusion of the economic part of the Association Agreement, the so-called DCFTA, which provides for Ukraine’s deep economic integration with the EU. These efforts drew the EU into the Ukraine-Russian imbroglio as the forcefulness of Russia’s objections to the DCFTA required a response from the EU. While these objections offer a penetrating insight into Russia’s broader security and geopolitical concerns, the EU’s response also highlights the challenges it faced in addressing technical issues and rules in the context of high (geo)politics and peace-building efforts.