Securitizing Russian-speakers in Estonia and Latvia

The Frame-Policy Nexus before and after Russia’s Invasion of Ukraine

Bibliographic Data

ID11047482
AuthorsJennie L Schulze (0000-0003-0643-0012, Duquesne University, corresponding author), Juris Pupcenoks (0000-0003-4411-1194, Marist College)
Year2025
Volume53
Issue5
Pages1035-1059
Publication date2025-09-01
Peer ReviewedYes
Open AccessYes
TypeARTICLE
VenueNationalities Papers (JOURNAL)
Journal identifiersISSN: 0090-5992 • E-ISSN: 1465-3923
PublisherCambridge University Press (CUP) (PUBLISHER)
DOI10.1017/nps.2024.97
OpenAlexW4406333626
LanguageEN
Citations received7
References cited50

The securitization of Russian-speakers has been central to nation-building in Estonia and Latvia since they regained their independence in 1991. Securitization at the levels of discourse and policy varies over time as a result of historical legacies, Russia’s kin state activism, and the minority protection requirements of European institutions. This article introduces a typology that links discursive frames with policies to map securitizing trends in Estonia and Latvia after the Soviet collapse: securitizing exclusion — less accommodating policies are justified by presenting the minority as a threat to the state or core nation; securitizing inclusion — more accommodating policies are justified to “win over” the minority in order to decrease the threat; and desecuritizing inclusion — more accommodating policies are justified on grounds of fairness or appropriateness without reference to security. The utility of the typology is demonstrated by analyzing frames in the public broadcast media and recent policy developments in Estonia and Latvia immediately following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in 2022. The analysis points to increasing convergence across countries in favor of securitizing exclusion. The analysis points to increasing convergence across countries in favor of securitizing exclusion. We conclude by evaluating these trends in light of minority mobilization and recent data on support for the active defense of the state among Russian-speakers and titulars

Convergence (economics · Development economics · Economic growth · Economics · Economy · Geography · Inclusion–exclusion principle · Nexus (standard · Political economy · Political science · Securitization · Sociology · State (computer science · Typology · Global Security and Public Health · Migration, Refugees, and Integration · Peacebuilding and International Security

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