Europe’s Eastern Crisis: The Return of Geopolitics

Russia’s annexation of Crimea in 2014 and the ensuing crisis in Ukraine have forced the EU to reevaluate its relations with both Russia and its Eastern neighbors. In his new book, Europe’s Eastern Crisis: The Geopolitics of Asymmetry, Carnegie senior fellow Richard Youngs examines the impact that the Ukraine conflict has had on EU foreign policy—and explains how the EU is developing a distinctive type of geopolitics.

Carnegie Europe was pleased to host a public event with Youngs to debate whether the EU has managed to contain the Eastern crisis—or has set up new conditions for more instability in the future.

Youngs was joined by Katarína Mathernová, deputy director general at the Directorate General for Neighborhood and Enlargement Negotiations of the European Commission, and Nathalie Tocci, director of the Italian Institute of International Affairs. Tomáš Valášek, director of Carnegie Europe, moderated.

Copies of the book were on sale at the event, and a light reception followed.

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Katarína Mathernová

Katarína Mathernová is the deputy director general in charge of Eastern neighborhood, economic transformation, and relations with international financial institutions at the Directorate General for Neighborhood and Enlargement Negotiations of the European Commission. Follow her on Twitter @kmathernova.

Nathalie Tocci

Nathalie Tocci is the director of the Italian Institute of International Affairs in Rome and a special adviser to EU foreign policy chief Federica Mogherini. Follow her on Twitter @NathalieTocci.

Richard Youngs

Richard Youngs is a senior fellow in Carnegie’s Democracy and Rule of Law Program, based at Carnegie Europe. Follow him on Twitter @YoungsRichard.

Tomáš Valášek

Tomáš Valášek is the director of Carnegie Europe. Follow him on Twitter @valasekt.