Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022 has acted as a catalyst for significant transformations in European Union governance. This introductory chapter situates the volume by analysing the Union’s unprecedented response, encompassing the adoption of far-reaching restrictive measures, the mobilisation of financial and military assistance, and the reconfiguration of internal policies and institutions. It traces the evolution from the EU’s more incremental reaction to the 2014 annexation of Crimea to the comprehensive sanctions regime and enhanced security engagement after 2022, highlighting in particular the strengthened role of the European Commission, the High Representative, and the Council in the design and enforcement of sanctions. The chapter also identifies the broader legal and policy consequences of the war: the provision of lethal assistance through the European Peace Facility, the renewed centrality of enlargement as a geopolitical instrument, and the first activation of the Temporary Protection Directive. These developments illustrate how the EU is undergoing both constitutional and geopolitical change, while also exposing enduring tensions between supranational and intergovernmental dynamics. By outlining these themes, the chapter provides the analytical framework for the contributions in this volume, which collectively assess how the war in Ukraine has reshaped the EU as a legal order and as an international actor.
The Response to Russia’s Aggression of Ukraine and the Transformation of the EU Legal Order: An Overview
Luca Paladini;
2026-01-01
Abstract
Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022 has acted as a catalyst for significant transformations in European Union governance. This introductory chapter situates the volume by analysing the Union’s unprecedented response, encompassing the adoption of far-reaching restrictive measures, the mobilisation of financial and military assistance, and the reconfiguration of internal policies and institutions. It traces the evolution from the EU’s more incremental reaction to the 2014 annexation of Crimea to the comprehensive sanctions regime and enhanced security engagement after 2022, highlighting in particular the strengthened role of the European Commission, the High Representative, and the Council in the design and enforcement of sanctions. The chapter also identifies the broader legal and policy consequences of the war: the provision of lethal assistance through the European Peace Facility, the renewed centrality of enlargement as a geopolitical instrument, and the first activation of the Temporary Protection Directive. These developments illustrate how the EU is undergoing both constitutional and geopolitical change, while also exposing enduring tensions between supranational and intergovernmental dynamics. By outlining these themes, the chapter provides the analytical framework for the contributions in this volume, which collectively assess how the war in Ukraine has reshaped the EU as a legal order and as an international actor.I documenti in IRIS sono protetti da copyright e tutti i diritti sono riservati, salvo diversa indicazione.
