Baltic Security

The security environment of the Baltic states—Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania—has rapidly evolved in recent years and has become one of the most important regions in European and broader transatlantic security policy. The course Baltic Security offers a comprehensive overview of these developments, providing students with both a structured theoretical framework and a practical understanding of the region’s strategic challenges.

The course focuses on key issues in the defense and security policies of the Baltic states, including military strategy, the role of national and allied force structures, regional defense planning, and NATO’s presence and deterrence posture. It also examines the diplomatic processes of the European Union and Europe more broadly that shape the region’s security architecture and forms of cooperation.

Special attention is given to Russia’s influence and contemporary hybrid threats, which include information warfare, influence operations, cyberattacks, and strategies for societal resilience. The course also analyzes the importance of energy security, discussing how vulnerabilities in supply chains and geopolitical energy relationships affect the independence and crisis resilience of the Baltic states.

Teaching relies on a diverse set of methods: case studies, simulations, scenario analysis, and discussions based on expert assessments and real policy documents. The aim of the course is to develop students’ ability to interpret the Baltic region’s security situation, assess threats, and offer well-informed and strategically grounded policy recommendations.