The EU should consider a strategic pause with Moscow to give it time to strengthen its own position.

In the two decades since the end of the Cold War, Europeans and the EU have struggled to find common ground in their relations with Russia, and generally failed in attempts to promote modernisation. Jana Kobzova argues that it is time for the EU to re-assess its relations with Russia. Instead of hesitating between engagement and containment of its biggest neighbour, Europe should consider a strategic pause to give it time to complete and enforce the rules and policies internally that it would like to see in Russia.