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Perceptions of the EU’s Role in the Ukraine-Russian and the Israeli-Palestinian conflicts: A biased mediator?

Elgström, Ole LU ; Chaban, Natalia LU ; Knodt, Michèle ; Pardo, Sharon and Muller, Patrick (2018) In International Negotiation 23(2). p.299-318
Abstract
This article focuses on how the European Union's (EU) mediation activities during the Russia-Ukraine and Israel-Palestine conflicts are perceived by local elites. Our analysis is based on recent interviews with decision makers in Ukraine, Israel and Palestine. Consistent with this special issue, we investigate perceptions of EU roles, strategies and effectiveness. We suggest that the EU's relation to the parties may affect their perceptions of EU conflict mediation efforts. Specifically, we expect that the EU is perceived as a biased mediator in both cases due to perceived close relations to one or more conflict parties. However, contrary to our expectations and widespread assumption in mediation theory, while such a bias exists, we found... (More)
This article focuses on how the European Union's (EU) mediation activities during the Russia-Ukraine and Israel-Palestine conflicts are perceived by local elites. Our analysis is based on recent interviews with decision makers in Ukraine, Israel and Palestine. Consistent with this special issue, we investigate perceptions of EU roles, strategies and effectiveness. We suggest that the EU's relation to the parties may affect their perceptions of EU conflict mediation efforts. Specifically, we expect that the EU is perceived as a biased mediator in both cases due to perceived close relations to one or more conflict parties. However, contrary to our expectations and widespread assumption in mediation theory, while such a bias exists, we found it is not perceived as a main cause of EU ineffectiveness. Other factors, including the prominence of other mediators and internal EU disunity, are perceived as more detrimental to EU efficacy. © 2018 Koninklijke Brill NV, Leiden, The Netherlands. (Less)
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author
; ; ; and
organization
publishing date
type
Contribution to journal
publication status
published
subject
keywords
Israel-Palestine conflict, mediator, eu external perceptions, European Union (eu), Russia-Ukraine conflict
in
International Negotiation
volume
23
issue
2
pages
20 pages
publisher
Brill
external identifiers
  • scopus:85048248238
ISSN
1382-340X
DOI
10.1163/15718069-23021154
language
English
LU publication?
yes
id
bfcf1b5c-63a3-477d-b29b-056347696b71
date added to LUP
2018-03-21 08:35:28
date last changed
2022-04-25 06:21:32
@article{bfcf1b5c-63a3-477d-b29b-056347696b71,
  abstract     = {{This article focuses on how the European Union's (EU) mediation activities during the Russia-Ukraine and Israel-Palestine conflicts are perceived by local elites. Our analysis is based on recent interviews with decision makers in Ukraine, Israel and Palestine. Consistent with this special issue, we investigate perceptions of EU roles, strategies and effectiveness. We suggest that the EU's relation to the parties may affect their perceptions of EU conflict mediation efforts. Specifically, we expect that the EU is perceived as a biased mediator in both cases due to perceived close relations to one or more conflict parties. However, contrary to our expectations and widespread assumption in mediation theory, while such a bias exists, we found it is not perceived as a main cause of EU ineffectiveness. Other factors, including the prominence of other mediators and internal EU disunity, are perceived as more detrimental to EU efficacy. © 2018 Koninklijke Brill NV, Leiden, The Netherlands.}},
  author       = {{Elgström, Ole and Chaban, Natalia and Knodt, Michèle and Pardo, Sharon and Muller, Patrick}},
  issn         = {{1382-340X}},
  keywords     = {{Israel-Palestine conflict; mediator; eu external perceptions; European Union (eu); Russia-Ukraine conflict}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  month        = {{05}},
  number       = {{2}},
  pages        = {{299--318}},
  publisher    = {{Brill}},
  series       = {{International Negotiation}},
  title        = {{Perceptions of the EU’s Role in the Ukraine-Russian and the Israeli-Palestinian conflicts: A biased mediator?}},
  url          = {{http://dx.doi.org/10.1163/15718069-23021154}},
  doi          = {{10.1163/15718069-23021154}},
  volume       = {{23}},
  year         = {{2018}},
}