This article examines and discusses the European Union's actorness in its Eastern Neighbourhood, and specially the case of Ukraine. Against this backdrop, it demonstrates that EU-Ukraine relations have been instrumental in the consolidation and enhancement of the EU condition as an international actor. The present study corroborates the characterization of the EU as an international actor based on the conceptualization of actorness advanced by Bretherton and Vogler (2006) while taking into consideration the positive evolution of the EU-Ukraine relations. On the one hand, in the Ukrainian case, Brussels has shown the ability to seize all major opportunities to boost its international visibility. On the other hand, it has succeeded in capitalizing on Kiev's attraction for the European model, to maximize its presence and influence in the country. The evolution of the bilateral rapport is also symptomatic of the EU's capacity that reveals itself not only in the identification of Ukraine as a priority of its foreign policy in the Eastern Neighborhood, but also in the utilization of various political instruments with the deepening of the bilateral relations in view. Finally, this article will attempt to show that the Bretherton and Vogler's framework cannot fully explain such EU's initiatives targeting Ukraine, as the Black Sea Synergy and the Eastern Partnership, which point to a growing improvement of the international assertiveness of the EU.
European Union; Ukraine; Actorness; Eastern Neighbourhood