Publication

This issue of the RAD examines Russia’s current relations with Poland and the three Baltic States. The first article contrasts the historical roles played by the latter States -- as an East-West bridge or a peripheral border outpost -- with the post-Crimea role they now play, which involves providing a frontline counterbalance to the threats posed by Putin's Russia. The second article then explores how Eastern Ukraine's troubles have pushed the Baltic States to cooperate more closely on military matters. The third piece wonders whether the victory of the Law and Justice Party in Poland's October 2015 elections may cause the country to curtail its classic Russophobic rhetoric and join the ranks of other nations that are disillusioned with the EU’s undemocratic ways and never-ending insistence on "more Europe." Finally, the fourth article considers how Estonia's Russian minority is responding to the rocky relations that exist between the two countries.