https://orcid.org/0000-0001-5489-5776
![Sample our Area Studies journals, sign in here to start your access, latest two full volumes FREE to you for 14 days]({"type":"image" , "src" : "/sda/5922/TOC-Subject-Sample-2021-Area-Studies.jpg"})
Abstract
Research on status-seeking in international politics offers valuable insights into why countries of various sizes may and sometimes do act in unexpected and apparently irrational ways. This article applies a status-seeking theoretical framework, that of Social Identity Theory, to explain a small, materially weak state’s unconventional foreign policy choices. Our case study focuses on Lithuania’s ambitious engagement in the EU’s Eastern Partnership programme, targeting Ukraine and Georgia. We find that a status-focused analysis helps to better comprehend several ‘unusual’ foreign policy initiatives launched by Lithuanian policymakers since the 2000s, the ultimate purpose of which, we argue, is the pursuit of higher status.
Notes
1 ‘President Bush Meets with President Adamkus of Lithuania’, The White House, 12 February 2017, available at: https://georgewbush-whitehouse.archives.gov/news/releases/2007/02/20070212.html, accessed 19 March 2020.
2 ‘Lithuania Promises Assistance on Ukraine’s Path to EU Membership’, Kyiv Post, 26 November 2009, available at: https://www.kyivpost.com/article/content/ukraine-politics/lithuania-promises-assistance-on-ukraines-path-to-53645.html, accessed 19 March 2019.
3 ‘Seimas Ratifies Agreement on Establishing Lithuania–Poland–Ukraine Brigade’, ELTA, 26 March 2015, available at: https://en.delfi.lt/central-eastern-europe/seimas-ratifies-agreement-on-establishing-lithuania-poland-ukraine-brigade.d?id=67542892, accessed 14 February 2019.
4 ‘Reabilitacijai į Lietuvą atvyko 11 Ukrainos karių’, ELTA, 19 April 2016, available at: https://www.delfi.lt/news/daily/lithuania/reabilitacijai-i-lietuva-atvyko-11-ukrainos-kariu.d?id=71036030, accessed 17 October 2018.
5 ‘Lithuania President Decries Naïve Approach to Putin’, CNN, 10 March 2015, available at: https://www.cnn.com/videos/world/2015/03/10/intv-amanpour-lithuania-president-dalia-Grybauskaitė.cnn, accessed 3 June 2016.
6 ‘Lithuania’s Dalia Grybauskaitė Warns of Prelude to “New Cold War”’, BBC World News, 21 March 2014, available at: https://www.bbc.com/news/av/world-europe-26692589, accessed 20 March 2021. See also, Easton (Citation2014), Sabet-Parry (Citation2014), Weiss (Citation2016).
7 ‘Linkevičius: “Visa-free Travel has to be Granted for Ukraine and Georgia”’, 14 December 2015, available at: https://www.urm.lt/default/en/news/Linkevičius-visa-free-travel-has-to-be-granted-for-ukraine-and-georgia, accessed 4 August 2017; ‘In Brussels, Lithuania’s Foreign Vice-Minister Reminds of EU’s Commitments Concerning Visa-free Travel for Georgia and Ukraine’, L24.lt, 16 November 2016, available at: http://l24.lt/en/world/item/158533-in-brussels-lithuania-s-foreign-vice-minister-reminds-of-eu-s-commitments-concerning-visa-free-travel-for-georgia-and-ukraine, accessed 4 August 2017.
8 ‘EU Unblocks Visa-free Travel for Ukraine, Georgia’, VOA, 8 December 2015, available at: https://www.dw.com/en/eu-agrees-visa-free-access-for-ukrainian-and-georgian-citizens/a-36696408, accessed 20 March 2021.
9 ‘Lietuvos pavyzdžiu Ukraina įtvirtino konstitucijoje šalies euroatlantinius siekius’, BNS, 7 February 2019, available at: https://www.delfi.lt/news/daily/world/lietuvos-pavyzdziu-ukraina-itvirtino-konstitucijoje-salies-euroatlantinius-siekius.d?id=80305241, accessed 22 February 2019.
10 ‘Lithuania Seeks EP Support to Marshall Plan for Ukraine’, Lithuanian Tribune, 18 September 2017, available at: https://lithuaniatribune.com/lithuania-seeks-ep-support-to-marshall-plan-for-ukraine/, accessed 13 April 2019.
11 Interview with Foreign Minister Maas for the Baltic Online Newspapers, DELFI’, Federal Foreign Office, 20 November 2019, available at: https://www.auswaertiges-amt.de/en/newsroom/news/maas-delfi/2278278, accessed 6 January 2020.
12 ‘List of International Trips Made by Angela Merkel’, available at: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_international_trips_made_by_Angela_Merkel, accessed 9 January 2020.
13 ‘Europe Must Take More Responsibility for its Security’, BNS, 14 September 2018, available at: https://en.delfi.lt/politics/europe-must-take-more-responsibility-for-its-security-president-Grybauskaitė.d?id=79068277, accessed 2 October 2018.
14 ‘Prezidentė dalyvauja NATO viršūnių susitikime Briuselyje’, website of the President of the Republic of Lithuania, available at: https://www.lrp.lt/lt/vaizdo-irasu-galerija/2018-07/?opened=popup/video1390, accessed 18 December 2019.
15 ‘Strategic Partnership between Lithuania and France Gains Momentum’, website of the President of the Republic of Lithuania, 9 April 2018, available at: https://www.lrp.lt/en/press-centre/press-releases/strategic-partnership-between-lithuania-and-france-gains-momentum/29767, accessed 10 January 2019.
16 Visits by foreign leaders to the United States, available at: https://history.state.gov/departmenthistory/visits and https://en.wikipedia.org.wiki/List_of_diplomatic_visits_to_the_United_States:_Europe, accessed 10 March 2020.
17 ‘Prezidentė dalyvauja NATO viršūnių susitikime Briuselyje’, website of the President of the Republic of Lithuania, available at: https://www.lrp.lt/lt/vaizdo-irasu-galerija/2018-07/?opened=popup/video1390, accessed 18 December 2019.
18 ‘Politico 28. Class of 2017’, available at: https://www.politico.eu/list/politico-28-class-of-2017-ranking/ and https://www.politico.eu/list/politico-28-class-of-2017-ranking/dalia-Grybauskaitė/, accessed 12 February 2019.
19 ‘Foreign Guests and Participants of the Ceremony’, National Programme ‘Person of the Year’, available at: https://www.ludinaroku.com.ua/en/urochisti-tseremoni/zarubizhni-gosti-ta-uchasniki-tseremonii, accessed 20 March 2021; ‘Biography’, President of the Republic of Lithuania website, available at: http://www.adamkus.lt/en/family/biography.html, accessed 20 March 2021.
20 ‘Lithuanian President Dalia Grybauskaitė Ukraine’s Person of the Year 2014’, Baltic Review, 13 January 2015, available at: https://baltic-review.com/lithuanian-president-dalia-Grybauskaitė-ukraines-person-of-the-year-2014/, accessed 14 February 2019.
21 ‘Petro Poroshenko: We are Grateful to Lithuania for Supporting the European Aspirations of Ukraine’, Embassy of Ukraine in the Republic of Lithuania, 11 December 2017, available at: https://lithuania.mfa.gov.ua/en/news/61804-mi-vdyachni-litvi-za-pidtrimku-jevropejsykih-pragneny-ukrajini-petro-poroshenko, accessed 21 March 2021.
22 ‘President Handed Over High State Awards to Vytautas Landsbergis and Andrius Kubilius for their Outstanding Personal Contribution to the Development of the Ukrainian–Lithuanian Relations’, Embassy of Ukraine in the Republic of Lithuania, 11 December 2017, available at: https://lithuania.mfa.gov.ua/en/news/61811-prezident-vruchiv-visoki-derzhavni-nagorodi-vitautasu-landsbergisu-ta-andryusu-kubilyusu-za-viznachnij-osobistij-vnesok-u-rozvitok-ukrajinsyko-litovsykih-vidnosin, accessed 14 December 2018.
23 ‘Lietuva pripažinta draugiškiausia šalimi Ukrainai’, Lithuanian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, 21 December 2019, available at: https://www.urm.lt/default/lt/naujienos/lietuva-pripazinta-draugiskiausia-salimi-ukrainai, accessed 8 January 2020.
24 ‘St George’s Order of Victory. Notable Recipients’, available at: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/St._George%27s_Order_of_Victory, accessed 21 March 2021.
25 ‘President Dalia Grybauskaitė CV’, website of the President of the Republic of Lithuania, available at: https://Grybauskaitė.lrp.lt/en/institution/president-dalia-Grybauskaitė/20797, accessed 21 March 2021.
26 ‘Lithuania, Other Baltic States may Contribute to Easing U.S.–EU Tensions—Grybauskaitė’, Baltic Times, 5 June 2018, available at: https://www.baltictimes.com/lithuania__other_baltic_states_may_contribute_to_easing_u_s_-eu_tensions_-_Grybauskaitė/, accessed 5 July 2018.
Additional information
Notes on contributors
Ausra Park
Ausra Park, Associate Professor, Department of Political Science and International Relations, Siena College, 515 Loudon Road, Loudonville, NY 12211, USA. Email: [email protected]
Gerda Jakstaite-Confortola
Gerda Jakstaite-Confortola, Senior Researcher, General Jonas Žemaitis Military Academy of Lithuania, Šilo g. 5, Vilnius, Lithuania. Email: [email protected]