This book contributes to the debate about a new German power in Europe with an analysis of Germany’s role in European Russia policy. It provides an up-to-date account of Germany’s “Ostpolitik” and how Germany has influenced EU-Russia relations since the EU’s Eastern enlargement in 2004 - partly along, partly against the interests and preferences of new Eastern European member states. The volume offers detailed analyses of how Germany addressed major crisis situations in the EU-Russia relationship, such as the Ukraine conflict and the Russian-Georgian war, and approached policy initiatives, such as the EU-Russia Partnership for Modernisation and the Meseberg Initiative. It combines a rich empirical analysis of German and European Russia policy with a theory-based perspective on Germany’s power and influence in the EU. The findings demonstrate that despite Germany’s central role in European Russia policy, exercising power within the EU is dependent on legitimacy and acceptance by other member states. This challenges suggestions of a German hegemony in Europe. weiterlesen