In some security environments culture of fear has proved itself as a main force in arranging relations between actors. For example, the story of the Middle-East or India-Pakistan is built on the constant fear forming security identities. Post-Cold war relationship between the Baltic states and Russia is strongly influenced by the emergence of culture of fear, which may cause a status conflict reflecting to norms, values and beliefs of actor – the Hobbesian conflict in the Kantian security environment.
Theoretical guidelines of the paper follow cultural theory of international relations (i.e. Richard Lebow) and the study examines emotional narratives that may impact security cultures of Estonia and Russia, which practice similar narratives influenced by the culture of fear. The Estonian security narrative has been built up on the imminent threat from Russia, while the Russian security narrative still relies on the Cold-War competition between the United States (or NATO) and Russia (formerly the Soviet Union), which relies on spheres of influence. These two narratives feed each other and establish a kind of mutual interdependence.
In this work I argue that the status conflict between Estonia and Russia is caused by conflictual security narratives, which have strongly influenced the normalization of bilateral relationship. Estonia refers to the Tartu Treaty of 1920 as a basement of her independence and sovereignty and relates its status strongly to Russia’s recognition of Estonia in 1920, while Russia does not recognize the continuity of this treaty.
This paper focuses on two case studies, which reflect to the status conflict between Estonia and Russia – the border agreement and the Nord Stream gas pipeline, which is highly securitized in the Estonian daily discourses. There is a conflict of different narratives that may conclude in the status conflict.
