A neighbour no more: evolution of Ukraine in the EU geopolitical discourse from the 1990s to the post-Russian invasion

ABSTRACT

The Russian invasion of Ukraine in 2022, in many ways, significantly altered the perceptions of both countries. This study employs a critical geopolitics framework to analyse the evolution of the EU’s geopolitical discourse on Ukraine from the 1990s to the aftermath of Russia’s 2022 invasion. By analysing the statements of EU officials, particularly within the European Commission, this research delves into the shifts that have shaped the EU’s stance on Ukraine’s positioning within the European spatial imaginaries, arguing that Ukraine’s geopolitical status within the European space has undergone transformative changes amidst Russia’s invasion, notably encapsulated in the evolving notions of ‘family’ and ‘responsibility’ articulated by EU officials.

KEYWORDS:

• Critical geopolitics
• European Union
• discourse
• Ukraine
• Russia
• Russian invasion of Ukraine

Supplementary material

Supplemental data for this article can be accessed online at https://doi.org/10.1080/14683857.2024.2354547.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Selin Türkeş-Kılıç

Selin Türkeş-Kılıç is Associate Professor at the Department of Political Science and International Relations of Yeditepe University (Istanbul). She is the coordinator of the Jean Monnet Module EUDIOC ‘European Union: Deeper Integration by Overtaking Crisis’ (2019-2022) and coordinating team member of Jean Monnet Module EUTHPART ‘Empowering Youth Participation through EU Values’ (2022-2025). She received her B.A. in International Relations from Bilkent University (Ankara) (2004) and her PhD in Political Science from Sabancı University (Istanbul) (2012). She has worked at the University of Deusto, Bilbao, Spain as a Marie Curie fellow (May 2011 - May 2012). She was a visiting researcher at ARENA, University of Oslo, Norway (spring 2010). Her research focuses on the discursive and argumentative processes in the policy-making of Turkey and the European Union. Her publications appear on various international edited books and journals including Journal of European Public Policy, Turkish Studies, and European Foreign Affairs Review.