Transatlantic Transitions: Responses to the Russian Threat in the Baltic Sea Region, 2014-2020
(2024) In Lund Political Studies- Abstract
- The overall aim of this thesis is to explore alliance formation and management in a regional setting, by analyzing responses to the Russian threat in the Baltic Sea region during the years 2014-2020. In particular, the study develops the concept of an informal ally and sheds lights on alliance formation from a small state perspective. In line with a realist approach, the study takes the impact of the international system on the regional setting as its point of departure in assessing small state responses to a great power threat. Through its case-study design, the thesis investigates the American engagement in NATO after the illegal Russian annexation of Crimea in 2014, and its effect upon Baltic Sea security and the alliance. Furthermore,... (More)
- The overall aim of this thesis is to explore alliance formation and management in a regional setting, by analyzing responses to the Russian threat in the Baltic Sea region during the years 2014-2020. In particular, the study develops the concept of an informal ally and sheds lights on alliance formation from a small state perspective. In line with a realist approach, the study takes the impact of the international system on the regional setting as its point of departure in assessing small state responses to a great power threat. Through its case-study design, the thesis investigates the American engagement in NATO after the illegal Russian annexation of Crimea in 2014, and its effect upon Baltic Sea security and the alliance. Furthermore, the study demonstrates how Sweden and Finland, as close partners, were integrated into collective defense to the extent that they became informal allies in 2016. Still, Sweden and Finland did not formally join NATO at that time. The study sheds light on domestic factors that in the Swedish case can explain lack of policy flexibility despite recognition of the Russian threat to national security. Theoretically, the study draws on structural realism and neoclassical realism while contributing to alliance theory by introducing the notion of informal ally and by presenting an analytical framework to trace how such a status emerges. Moreover, the thesis shows how integration strategies can be evaluated, thereby facilitating the study of small state responses to a great power threat. Empirically, the study presents rich material on a formative period for NATO and the Baltic Sea region. (Less)
- Abstract (Swedish)
- Det övergripande syftet med avhandlingen är att utforska alliansbildning och allianshantering i en regional miljö, genom att analysera hur det ryska hotet i Östersjöregionen bemöttes under åren 2014-2020. Studien utvecklar i synnerhet begreppet ”informellt allierad” och belyser alliansbildning ur ett småstatsperspektiv. I linje med ett realistiskt tillvägagångssätt tar studien det internationella systemets inverkan på den regionala miljön som sin utgångspunkt för att utvärdera småstaters svar på ett stormaktshot. Genom sin fallstudiedesign tar avhandlingen avstamp i ett internationellt system dominerat av USA och undersöker det amerikanska engagemanget i Nato efter den illegala ryska annekteringen av Krim år 2014, samt hur det påverkade... (More)
- Det övergripande syftet med avhandlingen är att utforska alliansbildning och allianshantering i en regional miljö, genom att analysera hur det ryska hotet i Östersjöregionen bemöttes under åren 2014-2020. Studien utvecklar i synnerhet begreppet ”informellt allierad” och belyser alliansbildning ur ett småstatsperspektiv. I linje med ett realistiskt tillvägagångssätt tar studien det internationella systemets inverkan på den regionala miljön som sin utgångspunkt för att utvärdera småstaters svar på ett stormaktshot. Genom sin fallstudiedesign tar avhandlingen avstamp i ett internationellt system dominerat av USA och undersöker det amerikanska engagemanget i Nato efter den illegala ryska annekteringen av Krim år 2014, samt hur det påverkade Östersjösäkerhet och alliansen. Vidare visar studien hur Sverige och Finland, som nära partners till Nato, integrerades i det kollektiva försvaret i sådan utsträckning att de uppnådde status som informellt allierade under år 2016. Ändå gick Sverige och Finland inte med i Nato vid den tiden. Studien belyser inhemska faktorer som i det svenska fallet kan förklara varför så inte skedde, trots ett erkännande av Ryssland som ett mycket allvarligt hot mot den nationella säkerheten. Teoretiskt bygger studien på strukturell realism och neoklassisk realism, samtidigt som den bidrar till alliansteori genom att introducera begreppet ”informellt allierad” och presentera en analytisk ram för att kartlägga hur och när en sådan status uppstår. Dessutom visar avhandlingen hur integrationsstrategier kan utvärderas, vilket bidrar till forskning om små staters svar på ett stormaktshot. Empiriskt presenterar studien ett rikt material om en formativ period för Nato och Östersjöregionen. (Less)
Please use this url to cite or link to this publication:
https://lup.lub.lu.se/record/5927d4df-be2a-42e1-b216-84deb828a764
- author
- Wieslander, Anna LU
- supervisor
- opponent
-
- Professor Wivel, Anders, University of Copenhagen
- organization
- publishing date
- 2024-08
- type
- Thesis
- publication status
- published
- subject
- keywords
- alliance formation, alliance management, alliance theory, Informal alliance, Informal ally, integration, balance of threat, balance of power, Unipolarity, small states, Structural realism, Neoclassical realism, NATO, Baltic Sea region, partnership, United States, Sweden, Finland
- in
- Lund Political Studies
- issue
- 217
- pages
- 208 pages
- publisher
- Media-Tryck, Lund University, Sweden
- defense location
- Edens hörsal, Allhelgona kyrkogata 14, Lund
- defense date
- 2024-09-09 10:15:00
- ISSN
- 0460-0037
- 0460-0037
- ISBN
- 978-91-8104-104-0
- 978-91-8104-105-7
- project
- Transatlantic Transitions: Responses to the Russian Threat in the Baltic Sea Region, 2014-2020
- language
- English
- LU publication?
- yes
- id
- 5927d4df-be2a-42e1-b216-84deb828a764
- date added to LUP
- 2024-07-19 14:59:46
- date last changed
- 2024-08-06 15:16:15
@phdthesis{5927d4df-be2a-42e1-b216-84deb828a764,
abstract = {{The overall aim of this thesis is to explore alliance formation and management in a regional setting, by analyzing responses to the Russian threat in the Baltic Sea region during the years 2014-2020. In particular, the study develops the concept of an informal ally and sheds lights on alliance formation from a small state perspective. In line with a realist approach, the study takes the impact of the international system on the regional setting as its point of departure in assessing small state responses to a great power threat. Through its case-study design, the thesis investigates the American engagement in NATO after the illegal Russian annexation of Crimea in 2014, and its effect upon Baltic Sea security and the alliance. Furthermore, the study demonstrates how Sweden and Finland, as close partners, were integrated into collective defense to the extent that they became informal allies in 2016. Still, Sweden and Finland did not formally join NATO at that time. The study sheds light on domestic factors that in the Swedish case can explain lack of policy flexibility despite recognition of the Russian threat to national security. Theoretically, the study draws on structural realism and neoclassical realism while contributing to alliance theory by introducing the notion of informal ally and by presenting an analytical framework to trace how such a status emerges. Moreover, the thesis shows how integration strategies can be evaluated, thereby facilitating the study of small state responses to a great power threat. Empirically, the study presents rich material on a formative period for NATO and the Baltic Sea region.}},
author = {{Wieslander, Anna}},
isbn = {{978-91-8104-104-0}},
issn = {{0460-0037}},
keywords = {{alliance formation; alliance management; alliance theory; Informal alliance; Informal ally; integration; balance of threat; balance of power; Unipolarity; small states; Structural realism; Neoclassical realism; NATO; Baltic Sea region; partnership; United States; Sweden; Finland}},
language = {{eng}},
number = {{217}},
publisher = {{Media-Tryck, Lund University, Sweden}},
school = {{Lund University}},
series = {{Lund Political Studies}},
title = {{Transatlantic Transitions: Responses to the Russian Threat in the Baltic Sea Region, 2014-2020}},
url = {{https://lup.lub.lu.se/search/files/191342146/Anna_Wieslander_-_WEBB.pdf}},
year = {{2024}},
}