英文摘要 |
This paper attempts to (re) interpret Estonia's security policy by adopting the concept of “marginality,” an idea that bears such elements as geopolitics, identity, size and power relations, and is therefore suitable for studying small states' security policies. A small state located at the margin is not necessarily constrained by or subjected to the great power at the center, because as a constituent part of the very relationship, the margin always has certain potential to exert influence on the center. In the case of post-Cold War Estonia, the state has undergone a reorientation of foreign and security policy away from Russia and towards the West. In this process of “center- substitution,” Estonia has shown a great commitment to the new center by actively taking part in the order(s) constructed by the NATO (the United States in particular) and the EU. In addition, through exploiting its marginal position between Russia and the West, Estonia also seeks to shape the attitude of the NATO and EU towards the old center, Russia, and other post- Soviet states. Despite these positive practices, there are also limits to Estonia's room of maneuver. An example in this regard can be found in Estonia's failed attempts to overturn the “Nord Stream” gas pipeline project conducted and promoted by Germany and Russia. The relationships between a center and a margin therefore are dynamic and can have various outcomes. |