Mari-Liis Sulg
University of Tartu, Johan Skytte Institute of Political Studies, Graduate Student
In this article, we develop a scenario of war and peace in Europe's neighbourhood in 2030 and analyse its implications. We show how the key drivers of shifting global powers, the failure to build an inclusive European project and patchy... more
In this article, we develop a scenario of war and peace in Europe's neighbourhood in 2030 and analyse its implications. We show how the key drivers of shifting global powers, the failure to build an inclusive European project and patchy transnational governance lead to a situation of permanent grey, in which some actors exploit the ambiguity between war and peace to their advantage, while others fail to even realize what is happening. The consequences include different forms of violence and suffering outside of traditional battlefields. Questioning the analytical value of concepts such as grey zone, hybrid and political warfare, we argue that a positive future of peace and the necessary management of the grey zone absent effective global governance require a better and more honest understanding of violence and domination in both war and peacetime. With clearly delineated battlefields gone, so must be the illusion that universal peace existed outside of them.
Research Interests:
The changing world order is ushering in a competition of new ideas and norms. Small European countries in particular are dependent on open rules-based trade regimes, and institutions like the EU, and NATO. To adapt to these developments... more
The changing world order is ushering in a competition of new ideas and norms. Small European countries in particular are dependent on open rules-based trade regimes, and institutions like the EU, and NATO. To adapt to these developments small states should increase their activity and scope of their foreign policies. This article uses Acharya’s concept of a multiplex world order to understand the changes influencing small states. This article argues that small European states should pursue foreign policy strategies of engagement to succeed in a multiplex world. This should be done by adapting to the changing world order, developing relationships outside of the transatlantic region as well as deepening new relationships within the transatlantic region. Estonian foreign and defence policies will be studied in depth to highlight the challenges and opportunities available for small states.The article concludes that a paradox is developing for small states: as nationalism rises and global institutions faulter, small states will need to be global in foreign and defence strategies. While small states face resource limitations, there are certain smart strategies that can make adaptation to the new world order more successful.
Research Interests:
Research Interests:
Geopolitics, a combination of geography and politics by default resembles the power politics of large states. As small states have little resources to pursue power-based foreign policy, one can wonder if the geopolitics of small states... more
Geopolitics, a combination of geography and politics by default resembles the power politics of large states. As small states have little resources to pursue power-based foreign policy, one can wonder if the geopolitics of small states matter. This paper argues that small states use geopolitical tools to locate themselves on the winners' side. The current paper takes a closer look into the post-Cold War foreign policies of Estonia and Finland that originate from opposite principles. Estonia's principle of "never alone again", locates itself in the West. This differs from its neighbour Finland's principle "always alone", which locates itself as a strategic regional actor. To highlight the same but somewhat different reasoning in their foreign policies, the annexation of Crimea and the war in Ukraine are studied in this article by applying critical geopolitics as a methodological tool.