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Theorising cooperation and conflict in Euro-Russian relations

ABSTRACT When thinking about Euro-Russian relations, IR scholars focus on why conflict has replaced cooperation. The “geostrategic debate” excludes the possible coexistence of cooperation and conflict. In this Introduction to the special issue, we track the evolution of conflict and cooperation patterns in three zones of contact (Estonia, Kaliningrad, Moldova) between 1991 and 2016. Our findings show that, although the standard narrative remains compelling, in several cases patterns of cooperation/conflict are largely autonomous from the geostrategic level. This diversity justifies the elaboration of theoretical propositions distinguishing fluid, rigid, and disputed symbolic boundaries which are constructed in and through geopolitical fields.