In the aftermath of the Russian-Georgian war in August 2008 EU-Russian relations have reached their lowest point since the end of the Cold War. The current disillusionment in Russia's 'Europeanization' and the retreat of ambitious visions of EU-Russian cooperation require a reassessment of the overall framework of analyzing EU-Russian relations. This course traces the emergence and unfolding of
EU-Russian conflicts in the current decade from the perspective of identity politics and the interplay of sovereignty and integration in foreign policy. The lectures will focus on the ongoing crisis in
EU-Russian relations in the aftermath of the Caucasian War and address the changing status of the 'idea of Europe' in Russian politics.