The Expansion of the European Union to the East in the Context of the Evolution of the Political System of United Europe
The article considers the prerequisites, basic theories and stages of the European Union's eastward expansion, identifies the main geopolitical and economic problems and the consequences of each stage of the expansion of the European integration field associated with the adoption of new member states and the transformation of the political system of the European Union in modern conditions. The immediate prospects for EU enlargement and the possible consequences of new stages of expansion for deepening integration are identified. The prospects of admitting Turkey and the countries of the Western Balkans to the EU are being investigated.