The Shadow in the East: Vladimir Putin and the New Baltic Front

'An insightful, nuanced account that highlights the present multitude of currents at play in Europe' - Peter Pomerantsev The Baltics are vital democracies in North-Eastern Europe, but with a belligerent Vladimir Putin to their east – plotting his war on Ukraine – and 'expansionist' NATO to their west, these NATO members have increasingly been the subject of unsettling headlines in both Western and Russian media. But beyond the headlines, what is daily existence like in the Baltics, and what does the security of these frontline nations mean for the world? Based on her extensive research and work as a journalist, Aliide Naylor takes us inside the geopolitics of the region. Travelling to the heart of Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania she explores modernity in the region, investigates smuggling and troop movements in the borderlands, and explains the countries' unique cultural identities. Naylor tells us why the Baltics have been vital to the political struggle between East and West, and how they play a critical role in understanding the long running tensions between Russia and Europe.

Table of Contents:
Chapter 1: The past in the present Chapter 2: Tangible evidence Chapter 3: The view from Russia Chapter 4: Russia in the Baltics Chapter 5: The Baltics in the 21st century Chapter 6: The Baltic states in Europe Conclusion Index

About the Author :
Aliide Naylor is a freelance journalist focusing on Russia and eastern Europe. Her writing has appeared in the Guardian, New Statesman, POLITICO Europe, frieze, openDemocracy, New Eastern Europe and Vocativ, among others. Naylor has travelled to all corners of the Baltic states and has also lived in both St. Petersburg and Moscow, where she served as Arts Editor at The Moscow Times.

Review :
In this riveting debut, Naylor combines lyrical personal observations with insightful political analysis to offer a timely and comprehensive picture of the complex societies, economies, and political landscapes of this frequently overlooked region. [A] captivating depiction of the relationship between domestic politics, geopolitics, socioeconomic issues and generational differences. An insightful, nuanced account that highlights the present multitude of currents at play in Europe, while showing how Russia has used the near-abroad as a laboratory for methods later deployed elsewhere. A mix of travelogue, social and political analysis, Naylor tells the stories and dynamics of the region from the inside, which is really the only way to understand them. Over the last six years, as Russia showed the world that it could, at will, seize territory on its Western border, the Baltic states were thrust into limbo, perpetually braced to become the next Ukraine. Aliide Naylor offers us a much-needed look at the netherworld that is the Baltics, an in-between space where anti-Putin intellectuals and shadowy money have sought shelter. Naylor, whose own relatives escaped West from Estonia, is an engaging companion, guiding us through pagan rites, cigarette smugglers' routes, and the lingering secrets of the Nazi occupation. Naylor takes us inside a swath of Europe in a state of suspended animation, forced to serve as a testing ground for a war that may never come.