Comparative Analysis of the Germany and France Approaches to Relations with Russia

Abstract

The article presents a comparative analysis of Germany and France’s approaches towards Russia. The authors compared the place of Russia in the official narrative and program documents of Germany and France as well as their positions on the useful practical mechanisms for developing a dialogue with Russia, on main political (Ukraine crisis) and political-economic issues (Nord Stream-2, negotiations on the Sputnik vaccine) in Russia-EU relations. The authors conclude that conceptual solidarity and agreement on political issues do not prevent Germany and France from disagreeing on some economically sensitive issues of relationships with Russia.

German Participation in the Three Seas Initiative: Opportunities for Russia

“…As a partner country, Germany only participates in 4 projects, of which only one (Construction of the 2 nd railway track between Koper and Divača) has been allo cated sufficient funding and is listed under the "Substantial Progress" category. Source: Compiled by the author on the basis of 19 .…”

“…These authors have pointed out that Berlin is striving to build its bilateral cooperation into the European framework [16][17][18]. Timofeev and Khorolskaya explore the approaches to relations with Russia practiced within the FrenchGerman tandem and conclude that while the positions of Berlin and Paris coincide on political issues, they diverge when it comes to economics affecting the interests of either of the countries [19]. In their paper, Salikov, Tarasov, and Urazbaev specifically analyze the Baltic vector of German foreign policy and show how it affects Berlin's relations with Moscow [20].…”