Gunta Pastore: The EU-Ukraine Association Agreement prior to the Vilnius Eastern Partnership Summit. In: TalTech Journal of European Studies. Band4, Nr.2, Oktober 2014, S.5–19, doi:10.2478/bjes-2014-0012 (englisch): “In the EU debate, a group of ‘maximalists’—the Eastern European Member States, Poland, the Baltic countries, to some extent the Nordic countries and the UK—pushed for the EU’s engagement in Ukraine. They argued that Ukraine is a key for Europe. Therefore the EU should not isolate it, allowing it to fall under Russia’s influence. The EU should act strategically and engage in Ukraine despite Yanukovych’s lack of reforms. Especially, the former Soviet countries among the EU Member States insisted on a tougher line towards Russia’s influence in Ukraine. The most prominent role was adopted by Poland. Poland also seemed to be the main beneficiary of the AA, as its goods would be able to gain a strong market share in Ukraine.”
Gunta Pastore: The EU-Ukraine Association Agreement prior to the Vilnius Eastern Partnership Summit. In: TalTech Journal of European Studies. Band4, Nr.2, Oktober 2014, S.5–19, doi:10.2478/bjes-2014-0012 (englisch): “On the other side in the EU debate were the ‘minimalists’—Germany, France, Spain, and Italy. The southern countries were traditionally reluctant. The crucial aspect here is the fact that the relations between Ukraine and the most influential EU Member States—France and Germany—have always been attached to their relations with Russia (Youngs, 2011, p. 32). Germany has been desperate to avoid confrontation with Russia, its strategic partner (Barkin, 2014.) The same applies for France and the southern Member States. It cannot be ruled out that for some Member States the negative trends in Ukraine served as an excuse to delay signing the AA, which was strongly opposed by Russia. This way they could ease profitable bilateral deals with Russia. Reluctance of these states was reflected in the balanced EU policy vis-à-vis Ukraine.”
Thomas Vogel: Wie weiter? Das Assoziierungsabkommen der EU im Spannungsfeld von Wirtschaft und Menschenrechten. In: Ukraine-Analysen. Nr.103, 8. Mai 2012, S.2–6, doi:10.31205/UA.103.01.
