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.

Ann-Sofie Dahl brings together an international group of experts to examine Baltic security issues on a state-by-state basis and to contemplate what is needed to deter Russia in the region. The contributors analyze ways to strengthen regional cooperation, and to ensure that security in the region stays at the top of the agenda at a time of many competing strategic perspectives in the transatlantic community. This book will be of great interest to foreign policy and defense practitioners in the US and Europe as well as scholars and students of international relations.

Ann-Sofie Dahl, PhD is Associate Professor of International Relations and a Nonresident Senior Fellow at the Atlantic Council. She is formerly a senior research fellow at the Centre for Military Studies at the University of Copenhagen, and she is the author or editor of several books including the co-edited volume Northern Security and Global Politics: Nordic-Baltic Strategic Influence in a Post-Unipolar World.

Foreword by Anders Fogh RasmussenIntroduction Ann-Sofie Dahl

Part 1: The West, Russia, and Baltic Sea Security1. Still the Indispensable Power: The United States and Baltic Sea Security Robert J. Lieber

2. Russia and Baltic Sea Security: A Background Gudrun Persson

3. NATO's Role in Baltic Sea Security: Reestablishing Deterrence, Projecting Stability Jamie Shea

4. The West and Russia: Another Front in the New Cold War? Christopher Coker

Part 2: NATO Allies and Baltic Sea Security

5. Are the Baltic States Next? Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania Andres Kasekamp

6. Deterring Russia: An A2/AD Strategy in the Baltic Sea Mikkel Vedby Rasmussen

7. Russia as a Challenge in the Baltic Sea Region: A View from Warsaw Justyna Gotkowska

8. Germany: The Silent Baltic StateClaudia Major and Alicia von Voss

9. Norwegian Perspectives on Baltic Sea SecurityHakon Lunde Saxi

Part 3: NATO's Nordic Partners 10. The Strategic Role of Gotland Johan Raeder

11. Sweden and Finland: Partnership in Lieu of NATO MembershipAnn-Sofie Dahl

12. Finland and NATO's Renewed Focus on Collective Defense Karoliina Honkanen

Conclusion Ann-Sofie Dahl

List of Contributors Index