RASIONALITAS PRANCIS MENOLAK MASUKNYA UKRAINA DALAM UNI EROPA MELALUI SPECIAL WAY

Ukraine, under the leadership of President Volodymyr Zelensky, has pushed to join the European Union as an effort to strengthen its geopolitical and security position amid the Russia-Ukraine conflict in 2022 through a special way. However, France, as a key EU member, has rejected this accelerated pathway, despite support from many other member states. This study uses Rational Choice Theory to understand France’s foreign policy from the perspective of rational considerations and internal dynamics. Using a qualitative explanatory method and deductive analysis, this research highlights internal factors such as public opinion and France’s domestic political stability, as well as external factors, including geopolitical threats from Russia and the potential for conflict escalation. The findings show that France perceives Ukraine’s accelerated EU membership could provoke direct confrontation with Russia, potentially jeopardizing European regional stability and security and threatening France’s economic interests, especially in energy and trade relations with Russia. This rejection is also influenced by France’s cautious approach to maintaining EU values related to human rights and democratization, which are not yet fully stable in Ukraine. This research provides a deep understanding of the strategic factors underlying France’s decision and its implications for EU and French political dynamics.