Germany and Spain: Similarities and Differences in Approach to Ukrainian Crisis

266
DOI: 10.20542/0131-2227-2019-63-11-46-55

M. Khorol'skaya (khorolskaja.marya@yandex.ru),
Primakov National Research Institute of World Economy and International Relations, Russian Academy of Sciences (IMEMO), 23, Profsoyuznaya Str., Moscow, 117997, Russian Federation;
E. Cherkasova (Katya_Moscow@inbox.ru),
Primakov Institute of World Economy and International Relations, Russian Academy of Sciences (IMEMO), Russian Federation.), 23 Profsoyuznaya Str., Moscow, 117997, Russian Federation
 

Abstract. The Ukrainian crisis has led to a serious deterioration in Russia-EU relations. Meanwhile, there are both common features and differences in approaches of different European Union countries to the events in Ukraine. The Federal Republic of Germany as the largest state of the Union most interested in resolving the crisis exercises the greatest influence on the solidary position of the EU. In turn, the formation of Germany’s stance is seriously influenced by positions of political parties in the country, especially those belonging to the “big coalition” in power. The standpoints of the leading German parties on key issues of resolving the Ukrainian crisis are close. They recognize only political measures aimed at normalizing the situation, and support the Minsk Agreements. Russia’s “annexation” of the Crimea is condemned, but at the moment it is “out of the brackets”. In German politics, there are two main approaches to cooperation with Moscow: supporters of the first approach are in favor of maintaining the sanctions until the implementation of the Minsk2; supporters of the second one require rejection of the sanctions policy and improving bilateral Russian-German relations. Spain, on the contrary, due to geographical remoteness and a low level of economic relations with Russia, perceives the Ukrainian crisis almost exclusively through the prism of national interests related to the problem of preserving the country’s territorial integrity. This article analyzes the approach of Germany (on the example of the political parties’ standpoints) as most characteristic for the EU, and that of Spain (comparing Catalonia and the Crimea) as most reflecting the specificity of individual EU countries’ positions. The question of similarities and differences between the situations in Catalonia and the Crimea is a “case study” of the broader problem of the correlation between the principles of maintaining a country’s territorial integrity and the right of nations for self-determination. The priority in this analysis is given to the situation in Catalonia, and the situation in the Crimea is viewed in a wider context of Spain’s attitude to the Ukrainian crisis. 

Keywords: Germany, political parties, Ukrainian crisis, Russia, Spain, Catalonia, Crimea, independence, autonomy, referendum, constitution 


REFERENCES

1. Trunov F.O. Evolyutsiya politiki FRG v otnoshenii Ukrainy (2013–2015) [Evolution of German Policy towards Ukraine (2013–2015)]. International Relations and World Politics. MSU Vestnik. Ser. 25, 2015, no. 2 (April–June), pp. 126-154.

2. Fur eine starke demokratische und rechtsstaatliche Ukraine. Positionspapier der CDU/CSU-Fraktion im Deutschen Bundestag. Beschluss vom 27. November 2018. Available at: https://www.cducsu.de/sites/default/files/2018-11/Positionspapaier%20-%20Ukraine%20Final_0.pdf (accessed 10.03.2019).

3. Der Bayernplan. Klar fur unser Land. Beschluss des CSU-Parteivorstands am 17. Juli 2017 in Munchen. Available at: https://www.csu.de/common/download/Beschluss_Bayernplan.pdf (accessed 2.03.2019).

4. Positionspapier Russland. Positionspapier der CDU/CSU-Fraktion im Deutschen Bundestag. Entwurf vom 29. November 2016. Available at: http://russkoepole.de/images/flash/positionspapier_russland_final_clean_003.pdf (accessed 09.03.2019).

5. Dialog – Vertrauen – Sicherheit. Voraussetzungen und Impulse fur eine zeitgema.e sozialdemokratische Entspannungspolitik. Beschluss der SPD-Bundestagsfraktion vom 09.10.2018. Available at: https://www.spdfraktion.de/system/files/documents/positionspapier-spdfraktion-dialog-vertrauen-sicherheit-20181009.pdf (accessed 20.03.2019).

6. Sanktion gegen Russland. Deutscher Bundestag. 1. Februar 2018. Available at: https://www.bundestag.de/mediathek?videoid=7197989&url=L21lZGlhdGhla292ZXJsYXk=&mod=mediathek#url=L21lZGlhdGhla292ZXJsYXk/dmlkZW9pZD03MTk3OTg5JnVybD1MMjFsWkdsaGRHaGxhMjkyWlhKc1lYaz0mbW9kPW1lZGlhdGhlaz92aWRlb2lkPTcxOTc5ODkmdXJsPUwyMWxaR2xoZEdobGEyOTJaWEpzWVhrPSZtb2Q9bWVkaWF0aGVr&mod=mediathek (accessed 25.03.2019).

7. FDP-Chef pladiert fur Realpolitik mit Russland. RP Online, 09.08.2017. Available at: https://rp-online.de/politik/deutschland/christian-lindner-plaediert-fuer-realpolitik-mit-russland_aid-17738447 (accessed 25.03.2019).

8. Lambsdorff: Merkel muss sich fur umfassende UN-Friedensmission Ost-Ukraine einsetzen. Freie Demokraten, 01.11.2017. Available at: https://www.fdpbt.de/pressemitteilung/112850 (accessed 25.03.2019).

9. Die Krim gehort zur Ukraine. Bundnis 90/Die Grunen, 18.03.2019. Available at: https://www.gruene-bundestag.de/presse/pressemitteilungen/2019/maerz/die-krim-gehoert-zur-ukraine.html (accessed 18.03.2019).

10. Bundeskanzlerin Merkel in der Ukraine: Besuch langst uberfallig. Bundnis 90/Die Grunen, 01.11.2018. Available at: https://www.gruene-bundestag.de/presse/pressemitteilungen/2018/oktober/bundeskanzlerin-merkel-in-der-ukraine-besuchlaengst-ueberfaellig.html (accessed 18.03.2019).

11. Jaitner F. Eine besondere Verantwortung. ND, 01.12.2018. Available at: https://www.neues-deutschland.de/artikel/1107016.linke-und-russland-eine-besondere-verantwortung.html (accessed 19.03.2019).

12. Die Krim ist nun einmal ur-russisches Territorium. Welt, 17.06.2017. Available at: https://www.welt.de/politik/deutschland/article165650240/Die-Krim-ist-nun-einmal-ur-russisches-Territorium.html (accessed 29.03.2019).

13. Visa-free entry for Ukrainians: the EU mired in double standards. Russlanddeutsche fur AfD NRW, 18.05.2017. (In Russ.) Available at: https://russlanddeutsche-afd.nrw/ru/news/2017/05/eu-gespaltene-zunge-ru/ (accessed 19.03.2019).

14. Espana concreta su tesis oficial sobre Crimea: “El referendum es nulo e ilegal”. Available at: http://www.abc.es/espana/20140312/abci-espana-concreta-tesis-oficial-201403112015.html (accessed 10.03.2019).

15. Constitution of Ukraine (In Russ.) Available at: http://kodeksy.com.ua/ka/konstitutsiya_ukrainy/statja-2.htm (accessed 10.03.2019).

16. Spain. Constitution and Legislative Acts. Moscow, Progress, 1982. 352 p. (In Russ.)

17. Zabaltza Õ. Ñataluna-Ñrimea: paralelismos y espejismos. REDO, 25.03.2014. Available at: http://espacio-redo.es/elmundo-encambio/cataluna-crimea-paralelismos-y-espejismos/ (accessed 15.03.2019).

18. Why Catalonia is not Crimea. Geopolitika, 05.10.2017. (In Russ.) Available at: http://geo-politica.info/pochemu-kataloniya-ne-krym.html (accessed 15.03.2019).

19. Resignation and Appointments. Sergei Aksenov. Kommersant” Vlast’, 2014, no. 41, p. 16. (In Russ.) Available at: https://www.kommersant.ru/doc/2442983 (accessed 15.03.2019).


Registered in System SCIENCE INDEX

For citation:
Khorolskaya M., Cherkasova E. Germany and Spain: Similarities and Differences in Approach to Ukrainian Crisis. World Eñonomy and International Relations, 2019, vol. 63, no. 11, pp. 46-55. https://doi.org/10.20542/0131-2227-2019-63-11-46-55



Comments (0)

No comments

Add comment







Indexed

 

 

 

 

Dear authors! Please note that in the VAK List of peer-reviewed scientific journals, in which the main scientific results of dissertations for the degree of candidate and doctor of sciences should be published for the “MEMO Journal” the following specialties are recorded:
economic sciences:
5.2.5. World Economy.
5.2.1. Economic Theory
5.2.3. Regional and Branch Economics
political sciences:
5.5.4. International Relations
5.5.1. History and Theory of Politics
5.5.2. Political Institutions, Processes, Technologies

 

Current Issue
2024, vol. 68, No. 3
Topical Themes of the Issue:
  • Bretton Woods 2.0: Towards a New Global Financial Architecture
  • Transformation of the EU Political Party System on the Eve of the 2024 European Election
  • South Asia in Regional and World Politics
Submit an Article
INVITATION FOR PUBLICATION
The Editorial Board invites authors to write analytical articles on the following topics:
  • changes in the processes of globalization in modern conditions
  • formation of the new world order
  • shifts in civilization at the stage of transition to a digital society

The editors are also interested in publishing synthesis articles / scientific reviews revealing the main trends in the development of certain regions of the world - Latin America, Africa, South Asia, etc.