Countering the Russian military threat in the Baltics: implementation of asymmetric non-linear defense model by the Estonian Defense League

Abstract

The recent conflicts in Georgia, Ukraine and Syria have demonstrated that the Russian Federation is willing to use armed forces to achieve foreign policy goals. The next possible target for Russia’s expansionist foreign policy could be the Baltic states. To meet this challenge, the Baltic states are seeking to bolster their deterrence capabilities. The Estonian voluntary military organization, the Estonian Defense League, has taken a different approach from conventional by strengthening the Estonian defense posture by adopting an asymmetric non-linear defense model. The aim of this thesis is to examine how that model should be implemented. To do this, I examined the developments of the Russian Armed Forces since the military reform of 2008, established key capability areas and demonstrated how non-linear defense model can counter those capabilities.