EU

Question 1

EU Perspective

European commission president Van Der Leyen quote x2
“This is putting…
“This war…

Josep Borrell x2
“the law of…
“Ukraine prevailing…

Answer 1

“This is putting into question our whole security architecture, our peace project.”
“This war is also our war.”

Inaction would mean accepting “the law of the strongest” over “the rule of law.”
“Ukraine prevailing against the Russian aggression is the best security guarantee for Europe”

Question 2

Interests

Answer 2

1. Security and Stability in Europe
   The EU sees the Ukraine war as an existential threat to European peace and security.
2. Reducing dependence on Russian energy
   The EU sees ending reliance on Russian energy as critical to its strategic autonomy.
3. Supporting Humanitarian efforts
   By early 2025, over 8 million people had fled Ukraine due to the conflict, creating one of the largest refugee crises in Europe since World War II.

Question 3

Response 1. Support for Ukraine

By April 2025… (Aid) (European commission, 2025)

Military aid, channelled… (EPF, 2025)

Answer 3

• By April 2025, the EU and its member states had collectively committed over 110 billion euros in total aid, including a 50 billion Ukraine Facility for 2024-2027 (European commission, 2025).
• Military aid, channelled through the European Peace Facility (EPF), amounted to over 30 billion by early 2025 (EPF, 2025).

Question 4

Response 2 Sanctions onto Russia

Freezing reserves

Banned Russian imports/SWIFT

Sanction packages

Answer 4

• The EU implemented unprecedented sanctions packages against Russia, including asset freezes on the Russian Central Bank, freezing over 300 billion (euros) in reserves by March 2022.
• The EU banned imports of Russian coal, oil and gas and excluded key Russian banks from the SWIFT international payment system (European Council, 2022-2024).
• By May 2025, the EU had adopted 14 packages of sanctions, targeting over 2,000 individuals and entities.

Question 5

Response 3 Temporary Protection Directive

Background

Number of refugees receiving protection

What protection encompasses

Answer 5

• The EU activated its Temporary Protection Directive for the first time, granting immediate protection to Ukrainian refugees across member states.
• As of early 2024, over 4.2 million Ukrainian refugees had received temporary protection status within the EU, which comes with permission to work, social welfare support and a right to residence in any of the 27 EU member states (UNHCR, Eurostat, 2024).

Question 6

Impact of interests on the conflict

1. Security and stability
2. Reducing dependence on Russian energy

Answer 6

1. Security and stability in Europe –> Sanctions onto Russia + Support for Ukraine –> Prolongment of the conflict and preventing Russian takeover
2. Reducing dependence on Russian energy –> Reduced trade with Russia –> Russia turns to India + China –> Nothing changes in the context of the conflict –> However tensions grow between East and West

Question 7

Evidence of reducing dependence on Russian energy

REPowerEU plan

Answer 7

Through the REPowerEU plan, it aims to “rapidly reduce dependence on Russian fossil fuels” and boost renewables.