Natalia Shapovalova is an associate fellow at FRIDE. Prior to joining FRIDE, she was a researcher at the International Centre for Policy Studies in Kiev, Ukraine (2005-8).

Her research focuses mainly on Ukraine, Eastern Partnership, EU enlargement, Russia, and the Caucasus. Natalia has contributed to a number of books, including on European Union democracy promotion and Eastern neighbourhood policies. Some of her latest publications include ‘The EU and Ukraine: hapless but not hopeless’ (with B. Jarábik, FRIDE, November 2012), ‘The European Union: From Ignorance to a Privileged Partnership with Moldova’ (with J. Boonstra, in Moldova: arena of international influences, Lexington Books, 2012) and ‘La Unión Europea en el Cáucaso Sur’ (in El Gran Cáucaso, Instituto Español de Estudios Estratégicos, 2012). She has written opinion pieces for EU Observer, New Europe, EurAktiv, The Guardian and El País.

Natalia has an MA in European Public Affairs from Maastricht University, The Netherlands, an MA in International Relations from the Maria Curie Sklodowska University, Lublin, Poland, and a BA in Political Science from the National University of Kyiv-Mohyla Academy, Ukraine. She is a PhD candidate at the University of Warwick, UK.