The presentation by Dr Richard Young of the Carnegie Europe focused on the key principles of the EU foreign policy that had undergone significant transformation as a result of the 2008 financial crisis. However, the debate mainly revolved around the Ukrainian crisis and Russia’s attempts to dictate its terms of international relations to the world and Europe in particular.

The EU member states were criticized on “oversleeping” the transformation of Russia from the dim, sometimes minor, player into the biggest threat to the international order and the rule of law that humanity built up since 1945. It was noted that the generally justified emphasis of the European diplomacy on economic realm should in no way be subordinated to fears over Russian assertiveness.

It was noted that the EU had failed in its Eastern Partnership policy, and had not made proper efforts to keep Turkey on the democratic track. The panelists considered the achievements of the EU in the Balkans to be unconvincing, as with resources of the united Europe the adaptation of this sub-region is not a fundamentally difficult issue. At the same time the lack of political will to give strong indications of the EU membership prospects for Georgia, Moldova and Ukraine once again showed that European leaders hadn’t learnt the lessons of the past, living from election to election and not thinking strategically.

Participants of the discussion pointed out that the ASEM summit in Milan had only ascertained the status quo in relations between the two continents while the issue of talks between the presidents of Ukraine Poroshenko and Russia Putin had been dominant, since this topic, despite ISIS and Ebola, was the most resonant in global politics.