| Saxi, Håkon Lunde. 2018. "Norwegian Perspectives on Baltic Sea Security" In Strategic Challenges in the Baltic Region: Russia, Deterrence, and Reassurance, Edited by Ann-Sofie Dahl | Saxi, Håkon Lunde. 2018. "Norwegian Perspectives on Baltic Sea Security" In Strategic Challenges in the Baltic Region: Russia, Deterrence, and Reassurance, Edited by Ann-Sofie Dahl | <p>How should the countries in the Baltic Sea region and their allies meet the strategic challenges posed by an openly aggressive and expansionist Russia? NATO and the nonaligned states in the region are now more concerned about an external threat than they have been since the end of the Cold War. Russia has been probing air space, maritime boundaries, and even land borders from the Baltic republics to Sweden. Russia's undermining of Ukraine and annexation of Crimea worries former Soviet republics with Russian minority populations, nonaligned Sweden and Finland are enhancing their cooperation with NATO, and the Trump presidency has created some doubt about America's willingness to follow through on NATO's collective defense commitment. </p><p><a href="http://press.georgetown.edu/book/georgetown/strategic-challenges-baltic-sea-region" target="_blank">Go to Georgetown University Press.</a><br></p> |
| Røseth, Tom. 2018. "Moscow’s Response to a Rising China: Russia’s Partnership Policies in Its Military Relations with Beijing" | Røseth, Tom. 2018. "Moscow’s Response to a Rising China: Russia’s Partnership Policies in Its Military Relations with Beijing" | <p><span style="color:#333333;font-family:"open sans", sans-serif;font-size:17.6px;">This article analyzes Moscow’s orientation toward Beijing. While China’s rise raises worries for most neighboring states, it appears that for Russia, security concerns vis-à-vis the United States and NATO outweigh other considerations. Russo–Chinese military cooperation has increased through high-tech arms trade, bilateral exercises, and improved border relations. The article asks whether Moscow is downplaying a pragmatic partnership policy in favor of a more permanent strategic approach in its military policies toward China. By pursuing arms sales and bilateral exercises, Russia allows for vulnerability in its cooperation with China, indicating a strategic partnership. At the same time, deployments along the common border point to safeguarding and pragmatic elements, revealing a not fully coherent strategy.</span><br></p> |
| Elgsaas, Ingvill M. 2017. "Counterterrorism in the Russian Arctic: legal framework and central actors." Arctic and North | Elgsaas, Ingvill M. 2017. "Counterterrorism in the Russian Arctic: legal framework and central actors." Arctic and North | <p>Russia’s strategic interests in the Arctic coupled with a complex and diffuse terrorist threat has produced a niche topic: Arctic counterterrorism. Arctic counterterrorism is a new and underdeveloped topic that has received only limited attention. This article contributes a discussion of the legal framework and the main actors involved in countering terrorism in the Russian Arctic. The author finds that the legal framework for counterterrorism is extensive yet centered in core documents. Similarly, counterterrorism involves many and varied actors united in a relatively simple and streamlined national system for counterterrorism. Current legal regulation and organisation provide a solid base that may support efficient management of counterterrorism, also in the Arctic. A notable strength is the concentration of coordination responsibilities in the hands of one central actor, the FSB. Another important characteristic is that the system is symmetrical and follows Russia’s federal organisation with coordinating bodies for all regions including those in the Arctic. Counterterrorism legislation is kept up to date and the trend is towards tougher punishments and a wide understanding of terrorist offenses. A potential weak spot is the unclear role of the newly formed National Guard. The uncertainty surrounding the role of the National Guard in the fight against terrorism may challenge the FSB and weaken coordination of the system for counterterrorism in the future.</p><p><a href="https://narfu.ru/upload/iblock/377/06_Elgsaas.pdf">Read the article here. </a><br><br></p> |
| Petersson, Magnus. 2018. "‘The Allied Partner’: Sweden and NATO Through the Realist–Idealist Lens." In The European Neutrals and NATO Non-alignment, Partnership, Membership? Edited by Andrew Cottey. Palgrave | Petersson, Magnus. 2018. "‘The Allied Partner’: Sweden and NATO Through the Realist–Idealist Lens." In The European Neutrals and NATO Non-alignment, Partnership, Membership? Edited by Andrew Cottey. Palgrave | <h2 class="forsvaretElement-H2">About the book<br></h2><p class="forsvaretElement-p">This book provides the first detailed comparative analysis of the unusual partnership between the main European neutral states and NATO. Neutrality and alliance membership are fundamentally incompatible, but through the vehicle of NATO’s post-Cold War partnerships the European neutral states and NATO have found a way to bridge this gap and cooperate with one another. </p><p class="forsvaretElement-p">Based on case studies of Austria, Finland, Ireland, Sweden and Switzerland written by leading experts, this book explores the detail of each country’s relationship with NATO, the factors shaping those relationships and whether any of these states are likely to abandon neutrality and join NATO. </p><p class="forsvaretElement-p">The book also contributes to broader work on foreign policy by exploring different explanations of the European neutral states’ foreign and security policy choices.<br><br></p><p class="forsvaretElement-p">This book will be of interest to scholars of the European neutral states, NATO and European security, as well as to those interested in understanding the dynamics behind states foreign policy choices.<br></p><p><a href="https://www.palgrave.com/gp/book/9781137595232"><strong>Go to Palgrave's website to learn more about the book</strong></a><br></p> |