Sustainability of Eu's Foreign Policy in the Eastern Neighbourhood

The definition of geopolitics is represented by the influence of geography over politics, emphasizing the importance of the geographic location. But at the same time, this geographic location is given a meaning from the inside, but also from the outside through different levels of perception, thus creating a feeling of competition or cooperation. The article aims to analyse the sustainability of EU’s foreign policy based on the different levels of perceptions that create a behavioural pattern of states, which in time become dependent on their own chosen path. Using the conceptual level of perceptions and different variables like the geographical location, historical background and crisis/non-crisis situations, the present research wants to extract predictability factors in what relates the dynamics from Eastern Europe. In terms of geographic range, the article will analyse the Ukrainian crisis, more precisely the European Union, the Russian Federation and Ukraine. In order to emphasize the different levels of perceptions, I will take into consideration: the perception of Russia upon itself, upon Ukraine and upon the EU, applying the same logic to all aforementioned actors. In terms of research questions, they are the following: how are perceptions influencing the behaviour of states/ actors? Taking into account Russia’s perceptions over itself, Ukraine and the EU, was the Ukrainian crisis a predictable event? Is the relationship between the EU and Russia dependent of the parties’ chosen path? Regarding the methodology, the analysis will concentrate theoretically on the concept of perceptions and how they influence the international relations’ level.