Russia’s Aggression in Ukraine as a Turning Point: The Transformation of the European Union Into a Security Actor in the Reconstruction of the European Security Order

The process which started with the annexation of Crimea in 2014 has caused a deep stress in the European security order. Russia has not only threatened the European security architecture, but for the first time, Russia has openly challenged it through its actions. As such, the war in Ukraine was a turning point in both international relations and European security policy. Accordingly, the European Union (EU) has altered its foreign and security policy. Until then, the EU had acted within the framework of its responsibility to protect the security of its members through a normative structure and peaceful methods, representing a multilateral world order as a peace project. However, post-February 2022, it has adopted a power-oriented policy. Increased cooperation with NATO, the will to break all kinds of existing dependencies, strict sanctions ranging from economy to energy policy, and the increase in the use of military force have been indicators that Europe has entered a transformation. After 2022, its attempt to influence international relations and the international system with more solid means has demonstrated that the EU is an actor that does not completely abandon its liberal and constructivist identity but reacts realistically. This article analyzes how Russia’s attack on Ukraine entailed a change for Europe within the debate of the realism and constructivism The process which started with the annexation of Crimea in 2014 has caused a deep stress in the European security order. Russia has not only threatened the European security architecture, but for the first time, Russia has openly challenged it through its actions. As such, the war in Ukraine was a turning point in both international relations and European security policy. Accordingly, the European Union (EU) has altered its foreign and security policy. Until then, the EU had acted within the framework of its responsibility to protect the security of its members through a normative structure and peaceful methods, representing a multilateral world order as a peace project. However, post-February 2022, it has adopted a power-oriented policy. Increased cooperation with NATO, the will to break all kinds of existing dependencies, strict sanctions ranging from economy to energy policy, and the increase in the use of military force have been indicators that Europe has entered a transformation. After 2022, its attempt to influence international relations and the international system with more solid means has demonstrated that the EU is an actor that does not completely abandon its liberal and constructivist identity but reacts realistically. This article analyzes how Russia’s attack on Ukraine entailed a change for Europe within the debate of the realism and constructivism frameworks. In this context, the authors attempt to reveal the transformation of the EU after 2022, which has now been accepted as a turning point, and how the process of building a common foreign and security policy has shaped the future of Europe.