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                                                            ISSN 2562-8429 
 

 

 

 

 

 

Introduction 

James Casteel, Carleton University  

Joan DeBardeleben, Carleton University 

 Special Issue Editors 

In honour of the fiftieth anniversary of the Institute of European, Russian, and Eurasian Studies 

(EURUS) at Carleton University in Ottawa, Canada, the Canadian Journal of European and 

Russian Studies is producing a special journal issue featuring research articles authored or co-

authored by present and past faculty members and research associates of the Institute.  

The articles in this issue, all of which are peer-reviewed1 and open access publications as per 

journal policy, span a range of disciplines, topics, and approaches reflecting the diversity of 

research interests that faculty and students cover in the Institute. The first two articles address 

topics of contemporary interest in European studies and Canada-EU relations. Achim 

Hurrelmann’s contribution “Brexit: A Critical Juncture in Canada-Europe Relations?” examines 

how Brexit has affected Canada’s relations with both the United Kingdom (UK) and the European 

Union (EU) in three dimensions: economics, political differentiation, and populist mobilization. 

Drawing on the concept of critical junctures from the theoretical toolbox of historical 

institutionalism, Hurrelmann concludes that while other outcomes were possible, Brexit produced 

only limited and incremental change (in economics and in terms of populist mobilization) or no 

meaningful change (in terms of political differentiation) in Canada’s relations with its European 

partners (the UK and the EU). His article delves into explanations for this relative continuity. 

Turning to a different aspect of Canada-EU relations, Crina Viju-Milusevic and Agnieszka 

Weinar’s article “Gender in the EU-Canada Comprehensive Economic Trade Agreement: Third-

Generation Trade Agreements as a Gateway to Policy Coordination?” examines the degree to 

which the Canada-Europe Comprehensive Trade Agreement (CETA), signed in 2016, broke new 

ground by introducing new expectations and structures to encourage gender policy coordination 

between the EU and Canada. Building on previous research, the authors argue that as a new breed 

of ‘third generation’ trade agreements, CETA goes beyond traditional expectations and aspires to 

promote gender mainstreaming, gender equality, and the promotion of female entrepreneurs. The 

 
1 Due to the nature of the contributions, the peer review process for the articles and commentaries in the 

“Viewpoints” section were not double-blinded. 

https://carleton.ca/eurus/


2                        Canadian Journal of European and Russian Studies, 17(1) 2024:  1-3 

                                                            ISSN 2562-8429 
 

authors conclude that despite high ambitions, the results to date have been somewhat limited, with 

the most marked, but still inadequate, progress achieved in data collection and data infrastructure. 

The remaining three research articles in the special issue deal with developments in Russia and the 

post-Soviet space. In their contribution, Jeff Sahadeo and Paul Gosselin provide an innovative 

historical study of how the Mtkvari (Kura) river shaped urban life in Tiflis (present-day Tbilisi) in 

the late Russian Empire. Drawing on a wide range of primary source materials, the authors 

highlight the symbolic, practical, and sociological significance of the river for the city. The Mtkvari 

River emerges not only as an important symbol of an emerging Georgian national identity within 

the Russian Empire but also as an actor in its own right that often thwarted efforts of the city’s 

inhabitants to control it. Their contribution paints a vivid picture of the interaction of nature, 

economy, and society in this multiethnic city on the periphery of empire, capturing aspects of daily 

life that would later be radically transformed under Soviet rule through demographic engineering 

and urban restructuring.  

Turning to our contemporary moment, the next two research articles by Joan DeBardeleben and 

Larry Black examine in different ways the reverberations of political and military tensions between 

Ukraine and Russia since 2014 that led to the current Russo-Ukrainian War. Joan DeBardeleben’s 

essay “A Respite from Geopolitical Tension? Russian Media Depictions of Cross-Border 

Cooperation with the EU 2014-2021” shifts the focus to Russia’s northern periphery, examining 

how intensifying geopolitical tension between the EU and Russia in the period after Russia’s 

annexation of Crimea in 2014 affected the depiction of cross-border cooperation (CBC) programs 

between Russia and the EU. Based on an analysis of Russian media coverage of CBC, the author 

concludes that less severe geopolitical tension may stand side-by-side with continuing cooperation 

at the local level, allowing Russian media to promote an image of ‘normality’ in EU-Russian 

relations. However, extraordinary geopolitical ruptures, such as Russia’s full-scale invasion of 

Ukraine in 2022, led to the suspension of even these lower-level linkages. The final research article 

by Larry Black, “The Kremlin’s Responses to Anti-War Voices in Russia: Setting the Tone in the 

First Year of War,” examines Putin regime’s narrative about Russia’s war against Ukraine as well 

as efforts by critics within Russia to counter it. The article elucidates the power of disinformation, 

bolstered by historical references and emotional appeals, and efforts by the state to employ  

nationalism to mobilize youth in support of the war. However, Black also points to the strength 

and determination of those engaged in opposition to the war who utilize a range of tools, including 

blogs, artworks, rallies, and instances of individual defiance in the face of an oppressive political 

system.   

The issue concludes with a “Viewpoints” section, intended to spark debate and critical reflection. 

The article “Misreading Russia” by Leigh Sarty, a seasoned foreign policy expert, provides an 

interpretive analysis of the authoritarian path that Russia has taken under Vladimir Putin that led 

to Russia’s current war against Ukraine and what he views as the failure of some Western countries 

to anticipate it. Joan DeBardeleben provides a commentary in response to this article. Regardless 

of what position the reader might take in this particular debate, we hope that this discussion, taken 

together with the other research articles, demonstrates the necessity of regional expertise for 



3                        Canadian Journal of European and Russian Studies, 17(1) 2024:  1-3 

                                                            ISSN 2562-8429 
 

providing a complex understanding of issues in this region and their larger impact on Canada and 

the world more generally.  

 

 


