Timofei Bordachev Since September 2020, a new stage of Russian policy begins in relation to its formerly most important neighbour and still the most significant foreign economic partner. Russia no longer believes that Europe is capable of playing the role of an independent and somewhat reliable partner in international affairs, writes Valdai Club Programme Director Timofei Bordachev. Expert Opinions Moreover, over the past 10 years, relations between Russia and the European Union have already undergone an extensive trajectory of degradation, and now it is difficult to find anything that really resembles the “golden” era of 1991-2005. Therefore, when the head of the Russian Foreign Ministry speaks of Russia’s readiness to cut relations with the European Union, it is, of course, a formal reflection of what the parties have already achieved in reducing the real volume and content of these relations. Despite the importance of such statements from such an authoritative source, the impression they made is connected not with the expected real consequences of a possible radical adjustment, but with the emotional perception of the European focus of Russia’s external relations.