Russia’s role in regional cooperation and the EU Strategy for the Baltic Sea Region (EUSBSR)

Abstract

This article examines EU–Russian relations in the Baltic Sea region (BSR) utilizing the concepts of counter-hegemonic socialization and soft power. The implications of the Ukrainian crisis for regional cooperation in the BSR are also taken into account. The compatibility of EU and Russian regional strategies are considered, as well as how these can often be mutually unaware of one another, or even confrontational. It argues that BSR regional institutions on the one hand face multiple challenges but, on the other, assume a vital role in the promotion of EU–Russian dialogue, offering some potential of bridging the differences in regional strategy.