Institute of Central Europe/Artykuły według: Damian Szacawa

Autor: Damian Szacawa

Baltic Team

IEŚ Commentaries 1236
Damian Szacawa - Baltic Team

Sweden’s Security Policy: Operationalising Its Role in NATO

Upon joining NATO in March 2024, Sweden embarked on the process of integrating into the Alliance’s missions (including deterrence and defence) and embedding within NATO’s political and military structures. The centre-right coalition government led by Ulf Kristersson has significantly raised defence spending, reaching 2.14% of GDP in 2024. Over the next few years, priorities...

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Baltic Team

IEŚ Commentaries 1220
Damian Szacawa - Baltic Team

Two Years of Ulf Kristersson’s Government in Sweden: A Shift in Migration Policy and the Fight Against Crime

The minority coalition government of Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson, in power in Sweden since October 2022, has faced significant challenges over the past two years, particularly in tackling organised crime. The policies introduced so far – such as stricter immigration laws and a reduction in refugee intake – have contributed to improving security but have also led to a...

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Baltic Team

IEŚ Commentaries 1202
Damian Szacawa - Baltic Team

Poland’s Presidency in the European Union Strategy for the Baltic Sea Region (EUSBSR)

On 1 July 2024, Poland assumed the annual presidency of the European Union Strategy for the Baltic Sea Region (EUSBSR), which will last until June 2025. In addition to advancing projects aligned with the three primary priorities – protecting the sea, fostering regional integration, and enhancing prosperity – Poland intends to improve regional security and increase cooperation...

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Baltic Team

IEŚ Commentaries 1187
Damian Szacawa - Baltic Team

“Soft security” in the Baltic Sea Region: regional cooperation to enhance societal resilience and critical infrastructure protection

The Nordic states consider critical infrastructure protection as part of their comprehensive security. The long-standing tradition of trans-border cooperation in this area will facilitate the implementation of the EU’s Critical Entities Resilience (CER) Directive. The exchange of experience and practical operational cooperation within regional structures (Nordic Council of...

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Baltic Team, Visegrad Team

IEŚ Commentaries 1135
Jakub Bornio | Damian Szacawa - Baltic Team, Visegrad Team

Finland’s response to the Russian Federation’s provocations regarding the change of maritime borders in the Baltic Sea

On 22 May 2024, the Russian Federation presented a draft that could lead to the revision of the internal waters boundary in the Baltic Sea. Despite its removal from the agenda of the legislative work of the Russian Duma, the proposal has nevertheless caused considerable concern among neighbouring states due to the potential revision of bilateral and multilateral agreements...

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Baltic Team, Visegrad Team

IEŚ Commentaries 1075
Jakub Bornio | Damian Szacawa - Baltic Team, Visegrad Team

Sweden in NATO: Relevance for Central and Eastern Europe

On 7 March 7 2024, Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson and the state’s Foreign Minister Tobias Billström handed over the accession documents to US Secretary of State Antony Blinken, who, as representative of the Washington Treaty depositary state, officially announced that Sweden had become the 32nd member of the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation. Sweden’s presence in...

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Baltic Team

IEŚ Commentaries 875
Damian Szacawa - Baltic Team

The Council of the Baltic Sea States: regional cooperation in Times of Russia’s Invasion of Ukraine.

The Ministers of Foreign Affairs of the Baltic Sea Region (BSR) states, during their meeting in Wismar on June 1-2, 2023, concluded Germany’s one-year presidency of the Council of the Baltic Sea States (CBSS). The Presidency was driven by Russia’s aggression against Ukraine and the consequences of the Russian-Ukrainian war for the region. The ongoing discussion about the...

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Baltic Team

IEŚ Commentaries 852
Damian Szacawa - Baltic Team

Pragmatic Idealism: A New Strategy for Danish Foreign and Security Policy

On May 16, 2023, the Danish Minister of Foreign Affairs, Lars Løkke Rasmussen, presented a new strategy for foreign and security policy based on three priorities: enhancing security, creating global partnerships, and building a resilient society. All these goals are part of the continuation of efforts to support Ukraine and the international political and economic isolation of...

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Baltic Team

IEŚ Commentaries 842
Damian Szacawa - Baltic Team

Green Alliance between the European Union and Norway

On 24 April 2023, in Brussels, the European Union and Norway signed an agreement on creating a so-called Green Alliance, aimed at strengthening joint climate and environmental action and greater cooperation in clean energy and energy transition. The agreement reflects an intensification of the existing cooperation between the parties in this field, which accelerated after Russia...

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Baltic Team

IEŚ Commentaries 786
Damian Szacawa - Baltic Team

Russia’s Invasion of Ukraine: long-term implications for the Arctic

Russia’s invasion of Ukraine has also brought a number of consequences for regions away from the conflict. One such area is the Arctic, which includes, among others, the northern part of the Nordic states. Within the Arctic Council (AC), political cooperation with Russia has been temporarily put on hold, while part of the work of the Council is expected to resume once Norway...

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Baltic Team

IEŚ Commentaries 616
Damian Szacawa - Baltic Team

A decisive year for regional cooperation within the Council of the Baltic Sea States

Ministers of foreign affairs and other high-level representatives of the members of the Council of the Baltic Sea States (CBSS) met on May 25, 2022, in Kristiansand, Norway, for the first CBSS Ministerial Session in nine years. A summary of Norway’s Presidency (July 2021-June 2022) and an assessment of the impact that Russia’s invasion of Ukraine is having on the Baltic...

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Baltic Team

IEŚ Commentaries 561
Damian Szacawa - Baltic Team

Organizational sanctions: suspension of cooperation with Russia in the Baltic Sea Region

Russia’s aggression against Ukraine is a blatant violation of the fundamental principles of international law, which many international institutions in the Baltic Sea Region (BSR) refer to. By deciding to suspend the participation of Russia and Belarus in these regional cooperation structures, the BSR states have demonstrated that they exclude cooperation with the aggressor. The...

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Baltic Team

IEŚ Commentaries 490
Damian Szacawa - Baltic Team

OSCE on the eve of the Polish Chairmanship: difficult cooperation in an (in)security environment

Tense relations between OSCE member states have always been a major obstacle to reaching the consensus necessary for foreign ministers to make decisions. The past year has been marked by Sweden’s constant search for a consensus that would allow the proper functioning of the OSCE in a dynamic security environment. Despite these efforts, no progress has been made on resolving...

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Baltic Team

Fot. Ćwiczenia na morzu
IEŚ Commentaries 464
Damian Szacawa - Baltic Team

Sweden’s security policy in the Baltic Sea region: the jigsaw puzzle continues

In order to strengthen its security, Sweden is increasing its defence capabilities, according to the conception of the security strategy 2021-2025. An intensification of internal activities within the so-called total defence is accompanied by enhanced regional cooperation with the Nordic states within the Nordic Defence Cooperation (NORDEFCO), two trilateral formats and bilateral...

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Baltic Team

Fot. do KIES 356
IEŚ Commentaries 356
Damian Szacawa - Baltic Team

Sweden: gender equality and feminist foreign policy

Gender equality policy has been developed for many years in Sweden and is now one of the cornerstones of the country's international activities. It is visible especially in the course of Sweden’s activities on the forum of international organizations: the United Nations (UN) and the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE). It is also the basis for feminist...

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Baltic Team

IEŚ Commentaries 343
Damian Szacawa - Baltic Team

Passing time: dumped chemical munitions as a challenge for states in the Baltic Sea region

Chemical munitions and chemical warfare agents (CWAs) on the bottom of the Baltic Sea and related incidents are not a new challenge for states in the Baltic Sea region (BSR). The Helsinki Commission (HELCOM) and numerous international projects made it possible to initially identify the problem. However, further monitoring of the situation and research are needed to locate all dump...

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Baltic Team

Premier Danii z pingwinem podczas spotkania Rady Państw Morza Bałtyckiego
IEŚ Commentaries 286
Damian Szacawa - Baltic Team

Formats of multilateral cooperation in the Baltic Sea Region: in search of their niche

During the last six months participants of the various regional cooperation formats have started a discussion on the 2030 vision of the Baltic Sea Region (BSR). The year 2021 will be a summary period on cooperation effects already achieved (HELCOM Baltic Sea Action Plan), an interim period (the EU Strategy for the Baltic Sea Region), as well as a new stage of activity (result...

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Baltic Team

Norway in the United Nations Security Council 2021-2022: “talented strategist” or “running young fox”? (Damian Szacawa)
Komentarze IEŚ 228
Damian Szacawa - Baltic Team

Norway in the United Nations Security Council 2021-2022: “talented strategist” or “running young fox”? (Damian Szacawa)

On June 17, 2020, Norway was elected as a non-permanent member of the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) for 2021-2022. Of the five priorities presented by Norway, special attention was paid to the need to respect international law and strengthen the structures of multilateral cooperation. These ambitious goals are accompanied by numerous global challenges, requiring the...

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Baltic Team

New hopes for enhanced cooperation within the reformed Council of the Baltic Sea States (Damian Szacawa)
IEŚ Commentaries 203
Damian Szacawa - Baltic Team

New hopes for enhanced cooperation within the reformed Council of the Baltic Sea States (Damian Szacawa)

On May 19th, a meeting of foreign ministers of the Council of Baltic Sea States (CBSS) was held. The virtual meeting (videoconference) was organized due to the COVID-19 pandemic. During the session, the ministers approved the CBSS reform, as well as raised issues of cooperation in the Baltic Sea region during the COVID-19 pandemic, while other issues involved youth involvement in...

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Baltic Team

Chinese Dragon in the Arctic and Its Influence on the Policy of Norway and Denmark in the Baltic Sea Region (Damian Szacawa)
ies-komentarze-130-33-2020.pdf
Damian Szacawa - Baltic Team

Chinese Dragon in the Arctic and Its Influence on the Policy of Norway and Denmark in the Baltic Sea Region (Damian Szacawa)

The growing influence of China on the global international order and the Euro-Atlantic security system will be a challenge for many states. This process has been recognized in the foreign and security policy strategies of Denmark and Norway, which are particularly interested in China’s policy and developments in the North Atlantic area and the Arctic. Both regions have a...

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