EU Sanctions and the Eurasian Economic Union: Impact and Trade Adaptation

This master's thesis examines the sanctions imposed by the European Union on the Russian Federation following Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine on 24 February 2022 and their impact on trade flows. Particular attention is devoted to the Eurasian Economic Union (EAEU) as a significant regional actor and to related changes in trade patterns. The aim of the thesis is to assess the extent to which EU sanctions contributed to the economic isolation of the Russian Federation and to examine the role of the EAEU in Russia's trade adaptation. The empirical analysis employs descriptive, comparative, and correlation methods, with particular emphasis on Spearman's rank correlation coefficient, to assess changes during the period 2019–2024. The main findings indicate an intensification of intra-EAEU trade, a strong correlation between EU–EAEU and EAEU–Russia trade flows, and increased exports of Common High Priority Items (CHPIs) from the EU to selected EAEU member states.