Putting Comprehensive Defence to Work: What Can Poland Learn from the Baltic States?

Abstract

The article analyses Estonian, Latvian, and Lithuanian developments in the implementation of comprehensive defense concepts. The analysis is intentionally limited to post-2014 period, when efforts by the Baltic States intensified in response to Russian aggression against Ukraine and the illegal annexation of Crimea. The article begins with a brief review of national perspectives on total and comprehensive defense. Then, it discusses the factors that prompted the Baltic States’ adoption of comprehensive defense. A comparative analysis of the concepts developed and actions taken by Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania serves as a starting point for a discussion on development and implementation of comprehensive defense for Poland. The research uses a critical analysis of publicly available governmental documents synthesized with academic and think tank research on the subject. The article purposefully concludes before 24 February 2022 and Russian aggression against Ukraine in order to avoid unsupported speculation on decisions and actions taken by the Baltic States in response to the war.