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Reactions to Russia’s<br />
Crimean Annexation<br />
The reaction to the Crimean crisis calls for a primary focus on the great powers, which is<br />
essential to understanding how the relationship between Russia and Europe may develop<br />
beyond the crisis.<br />
As during other major international crises such as the invasion of Iraq in 2003 or the<br />
Russo-Georgian war in 2008, it is great powers that structure the international pattern.<br />
The Ukrainian crisis witnessed the strong involvement of two European powers with strong<br />
ties to the post-Soviet region (Germany, Poland) and less direct involvement by three other<br />
powers (United States, France, United Kingdom).<br />
Together, these five states constitute the stable pattern around which international<br />
coalitions align in an otherwise great variety of foreign-policy preferences on the crucial<br />
Russia question. The position of each power is analyzed in turn, addressing the historical<br />
narratives that account for stability over time.<br />
NATO, EU and Russia after 2014 13
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