Threat Perception and Memory in the Baltics and Ukraine

The invasion of Ukraine highlights the continued threat Russia poses to Eastern Europe. This essay describes these threats as twofold: investigating both the material realities of soldiers and weapons, as well as abstract notions like the role played by ideas and history. Discussing examples such as the “war of monuments,” the Baltic forest brothers, and the Holodomor, this paper examines how contrasting approaches to history and memory can lead to conflict in the region, particularly when threats are perceived differently by competing actors.