Normative power at war in Ukraine: A reply to Hans-Herbert Kögler.

It is debatable whether the EU passed this test.[5] Although the EU could not be accused of moral indifference during the Yugoslav wars, its civilian power status represented a serious handicap. The first Russian invasion of Ukraine in 2014 was prompted by the flight of Ukraine's President, Viktor Yanukovych, following mass protests triggered by his last-minute refusal to sign the EU Association Agreement - on Moscow's orders. The EU objective may not be a regime change in Russia, but this does not make the regime change any less likely if things go badly for Putin in Ukraine. However, in the case of Ukraine, the EU cannot just hide behind I Uncle Sam i , because the war is on its borders, and the EU was directly involved from early on. [Extracted from the article]