Building a Multiple ‘Security Shelter’ in the Baltic States after EU and NATO Accession

Abstract

The essay addresses the nexus between security challenges and response strategies in the Baltic region. The analysis is based on the framework provided by a shelter theory, which distinguishes three levels of security strategies oriented towards external players: political (military), economic and societal. The essay finds out that, first, military and economic challenges to the Baltic states are mostly managed through ‘external shelter’ (NATO (United States) and the European Union); second, most of the current security challenges manifest in the societal sector, predominantly as a result of Russia’s hybrid offensive activities in the region. To deal with these societal challenges, the Baltic states are employing combined strategies of ‘shelter’ and ‘building a buffer from within’, but with a clear priority on internal efforts.