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Bret, C. “Securing the Baltic: a European necessity”, Brief, Jacques Delors Institute, November 2024

Overshadowed by the military crises in the Black Sea, the Red Sea and the Mediterranean, the Baltic remains a structural security challenge for Europe. Can it become the next frontline with the Russian Federation? Or is it frozen the icy waters of a “new Cold War”, made of long-term tension with no high-intensity conflict?

For the Europeans, there is no room for indifference, amnesia or negligence here, where Russia has lost its hegemony nolens volens, where NATO has gradually gained ground and where several major EU Member States are to ensure their economic prosperity and military security. On the global stage, the Baltic remains of secondary importance to the United States, whereas it is of vital importance to the EU. Europeans must not be lulled into complacency by the belief that the Atlantic Alliance alone will discourage Russian initiatives in this area. Europe is to take the lead in securing the Baltic.