Crisis Management Days

Security at the Margins: How Small EU and NATO Member States Navigate Geostrategic Turbulence

Sandro Knezović

Institute for Development and International Relations - IRMO

Lea Fabić

Keywords: Small states, EU, NATO, security, strategy

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Abstract

This article explores how small member states of the European Union and NATO perceive and navigate security in a period marked by intensified geostrategic turbulence. Against the backdrop of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, renewed great-power competition, and systemic uncertainty, the paper argues that small states experience a dual condition of embeddedness and vulnerability. While institutional anchoring within the EU and NATO provides essential security guarantees, it does not eliminate persistent concerns over credibility, responsiveness, and strategic prioritization by larger allies. Drawing on comparative analysis of selected small states across Europe, the study examines how threat perceptions, historical experience, and geographic proximity shape distinct security outlooks. It further analyzes emerging patterns of behavior, including increased defense spending and proactive diplomacy within multilateral frameworks. The article contends that small states are not merely passive security consumers but active agents seeking to hedge against uncertainty while reinforcing collective structures. Ultimately, their responses reveal both the strengths and latent fragilities of the Euro-Atlantic security architecture in an era of profound transformation.