ABSTRACT
This chapter deals with the events that redefined the Baltic Sea region as the Cold war came to an end — the security context. It also deals with the ideas that accompanied the historical developments, as political leaders adjusted and searched for new, long-term orientations. The chapter focuses on the Nordic security discourse during and after the Cold War, and the prevalent ideas and concepts of security that featured in the Nordic nexus of ideas, such as Common Security and Cooperative Security. An 'alternative' to nuclear deterrence and 'security against' the enemy was developed, in pursuit of an overall understanding of security as non zero-sum. The understanding of security in the Nordic countries was much broader than the widely held view that equates security with military force. The crucial problem is that Russia and the Baltic States in particular have demonstrated little or no interest in doing so. Both sides seem to entertain a zero-sum understanding of their mutual security.
