Eastern Europe International Norms Russia Trade and tariffs

Issue Brief

August 15, 2018

In the EU’s eastern partnership, western dissension opens doors for Putin

By Denis Cenusa

While the West continues to support efforts to democratize the countries of the Eastern Partnership (EaP), shifting international trends threaten to slow the momentum. Increasing confrontation among Western leaders—evidenced, inter alia, by the outbreak of protectionist trade policies and Donald Trump’s dissociation from G7 positions at the June 2018 summit in Quebec—can have unintended consequences across the EaP region, which needs Western harmony if it is to align with Euro-Atlantic visions of common values and security.