The EU's policies towards Eastern Europe during the last two decades were a failure, in a number of ways. In spite of considerable efforts of the Western political elite with regard to Moscow's leadership, Russia has become an advocate of anti-democratic tendencies.
After consolidating an authoritarian regime inside, the Kremlin is now engaged in anchoring the Putinist model, around the Russian Federation. In spite of the various setbacks of the last year, in Ukraine, the important preconditions for a new turn towards Europeanization still exist. What, so far, has been missing is targeted support, from the West, of such germs within society as well as political and intellectual elite of Ukraine.
The main reason for this omission is the generally low interest of both national- and European-level Western political actors for Ukraine. Their engagement with the Ukrainian government and civil society is often casual or limited to diplomatic niceties.
For more: EUobserver / [Comment] Europe's path to Moscow leads through Kiev
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