Interparliamentary cooperation in the <scp>EU</scp> in the face of the war in Ukraine

Abstract The study explains how interparliamentary cooperation (IPC) contributed to maintaining unity in the European Union's (EU) response to the Russian–Ukrainian war. A theoretical framework is derived from the concepts of Crum's and Fossum's multilevel parliamentary field and Christopher Lord's theory on the role of parliamentary cooperation in the external relations of the EU. The empirical material for the qualitative and quantitative content analysis covers 25 IPC documents adopted between March 2022 and September 2023. Findings indicate that national parliaments have actively used IPC forums in the EU to address the war in Ukraine, emphasizing EU unity and collective actions over national concerns. Maintaining unity in the EU is highlighted as essential for managing and implementing decisions, especially given the likelihood of the Ukraine conflict becoming a prolonged crisis.