title: Russia, the European Union, and the Ukrainian Crisis
abstract: The immediate crisis had its roots in the negotiations regarding the Association Agreement between the European Union (EU) and the Ukraine, exacerbated by American interference in Ukrainian internal politics. The EU had sought a network of relations with non-member, neighbouring states to establish close economic and political cooperation. The ongoing Ukraine crisis constitutes a major external threat to the EU, even as the EU’s inability to develop and sustain a consistent response to the crisi