Kaliningrad: a dual shift in cooperation and conflict

ABSTRACT

Poland's accession to NATO in 1999 undermined Russian-NATO relations. A similar contestation occurred before the EU's eastern enlargement when the transit of Russians to and from Kaliningrad was a contentious topic in EU-Russian diplomacy. Currently Russia's deployment of missiles in Kaliningrad has become a security concern. This article argues that NATO's security concerns replaced EU-Russian contestation about visa liberalisation as the main source of conflict in their relationship. It demonstrates that the case of Kaliningrad reflects a dual shift from a contested to a fluid boundary in EU-Russian relations, and from a contested to a solid boundary in NATO-Russian relations.

KEYWORDS:

• EU
• NATO
• Kaliningrad
• nuclear missiles
• Russia
• security

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Notes on contributor

Anna-Sophie Maass is Lecturer in International Relations and Diplomacy in the Department of Politics, Philosophy and Religion at Lancaster University.