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Fifteen years ago, NATO opened its doors to the Baltic states. Worked as a journalist on 7 continents and reported from 40+ countries, with postings in London, Wellington, Brussels, Warsaw, Moscow and Berlin. Shortly after World War II began, Soviet leader Josef Stalin coerced the leaders of all three Baltic States into allowing Soviet troops into their countries. Edgars Rinkvis, Latvia's Minister of Foreign Affairs, speaks to VOA on March 18, 2022. NATO allies have stationed so-called enhanced forward presence tripwire forces, roughly 1,000 troops strong, in Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania. Poles are the largest minority, making up 6.6% of the countrys population. Between 1994 and 2004, the BAFTA free trade agreement was established to help prepare the countries for their accession to the EU, rather than out of the Baltic states' desire to trade among themselves. Jessica Chen Weiss, formerly a senior advisor for policy planning at the State Department under the Biden administration, makes the case that the United States is becoming consumed by competition with China, a strategy that could lead to dangerous conflict. Washington is right to counter Iran's brutality at home and abroad, but that shouldn't stop it from engaging with an adversary to preserve regional peace. Edward Lucas is a nonresident fellow at the Center for European Policy Analysis, a Liberal Democratic candidate for the British Parliament, a former senior editor at The Economist, and the author, most recently, of Cyberphobia: Identity, Trust, Security and the Internet. Neighboring Norway, though not a littoral state, is closely involved in Baltic Sea security through its logistical, intelligence, and military aviation capabilities. Last week, Latvian Defense Minister Artis Pabriks described Germanys approach as immoral and hypocritical.. In August 2001, Latvia and Estonia agreed to jointly purchase long-range radars from Lockheed Martin. [1] The three governments engage in intergovernmental and parliamentary cooperation. The three sovereign states on the eastern coast of the Baltic Sea are sometimes referred to as the "Baltic nations", less often and in historical circumstances also as the "Baltic republics", the "Baltic lands", or simply the Baltics. NATO had no forces in the eastern part of the alliance until 2014, when it decided to deploy four multinational battlegroups on a rotational basis to the Baltics and Poland in response to Russias annexation of Crimea. A RAND study had posited that the Russian military could conquer all three Baltic states quickly using its conventional forces in as little as thirty-six hours, but there are flaws in the. The vast majority of ethnic Estonians, Latvians, and Lithuanians live within the borders of their respective states. The Soviets attempted to prevent these countries from seceding through economic blockades. Analysis: 02/10/2022. World Donald Trump NATO Baltics Estonia. Please follow our comment guidelines, stay on topic, and be civil, courteous, and respectful of others beliefs. Temperatures are moderate in comparison with other areas of the East European Plain, such as in neighbouring Russia. 5,841,000. The Biden administration has passed landmark legislations such as theInflation Reduction Act(IRA) and theCHIPS and Science Act, which provide subsidies in clean energy and semiconductoShow morers worth well over $400 billion. There is now little doubt that Putin failed in his initial goals: Kyiv is still Show morestanding, Ukrainians are determined to keep fighting, and the West has so far stayed resolute in its support of Ukraine. Regional security in the Baltic Sea has been a problem for much longer than the current standoff with Russia. While every effort has been made to follow citation style rules, there may be some discrepancies. NATO established a plan to defend the Baltic states after the Russian annexation of the Crimea in . EPA-EFE/Sergey Dolzhenko. He would later be assassinated, but the political entity he created would endure. By one estimate from Harvard University, more than 130,000 Ukrainian soldiers have been killed or severely wounded, in addition to the deaths of more than 7,000 Ukrainian civilians. All too often, the highlight is a distinguished visitor day closer to a theatrical performance than a training event, where participants identify problems by experiencing them. Interview with VOA on March 14, 2022. Violent incidents involving Soviet forces and the citizens of the Baltic States occurred during 1991, until Soviet hardliners attempted a coup to depose Gorbachev. Lithuania is the most populous of the Baltic States, with a population of just under 2.7 million. Russia was preparing an invasion of NATO countries, including the Baltic states, Estonian Foreign Minister Urmas Reinsalu said in an interview with Voice of America on March 2. Is the Biden administrations China policy too hawkish? [citation needed] Skrunda-1, the last Russian military radar in the Baltics, officially suspended operations in August 1998.[17]. Polish served a similar function in Lithuania. Lithuania, in contrast, achieved the best results on carbon intensity of economy but its energy dependence level is still very high. The most comprehensive solution to manage all your complex and ever-expanding tax and compliance needs. A flag-raising ceremony of the three. [4][5], All three Baltic countries experienced a period of authoritarian rule by a head of state who had come to power after a bloodless coup: Antanas Smetona in Lithuania (19261940), Krlis Ulmanis in Latvia (19341940), and Konstantin Pts during the "era of silence" (19341938) in Estonia, respectively. Your guide to the most important world stories of the day. The Lithuanians managed to preserve their independence in part because their land, which consisted of dense forests and swamplands, was less accessible. NATO's Article 5 pledges the alliance to defend its members. Latvia, for example, was a leading producer of Soviet radio receivers. Although the Baltic states are one small operational area in military terms, they have three national headquarters, each commanding pint-sized forces. Decision-making needs streamlining. Extensive trade relations were established in the region, which would last until the decline of the Roman Empire. A Polish exercise last year, despite making generous assumptions, ended with Polish forces being slaughtered in five days and the Russians poised to take Warsaw. The Baltic states[a] or the Baltic countries is a geopolitical term, which currently is used to group three countries: Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania. Area 67,612 square miles (175,116 square km). Germany has backed the two Nord Stream natural gas pipelines along the Baltic seabed. So unused to being challenged, the United States has become so filled with anxiety over China that sober responses are becoming nearly impossible. Shortly thereafter, the parliaments of the three Baltic States proclaimed the independence of their respective countries. It is also related to the now near-extinct Livonian language spoken as a second language by a few dozen people in Latvia. The same legal interpretation is shared by the United States, the United Kingdom, and most other Western democracies,[citation needed] who held the forcible incorporation of Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania into the Soviet Union to be illegal. Coauthor of, Professor of Geography, University of Waterloo, Ontario. Confused yet? These moves, though desirable, are belated and insufficient. In accordance with a secret protocol within the MolotovRibbentrop Pact of 1939 that divided Europe into German and Soviet spheres of influence, the Soviet Army invaded eastern Poland in September 1939, and the Stalinist Soviet government coerced Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania into "mutual assistance treaties" which granted USSR the right to establish military bases in these countries. The main trading partners outside the region are Russia, Germany, Finland, and Sweden. What does that mean for trade and globalization? And only a thin corridor some 60 miles long between Lithuania and Poland separates Russian forces in Belarus from Kaliningrad, the Russian territory on the Baltic Sea that is stuffed with. Essential analysis of the stories shaping geopolitics on the continent. Reuters provides business, financial, national and international news to professionals via desktop terminals, the world's media organizations, industry events and directly to consumers. Even before the invasion, some questioned whether NATO could actually defend its Baltic members from a Russian attack. Most Lithuanians are adherents of Roman Catholicism. [39] Since World War II the term has typically been used to group the three countries Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania. Albania. Putin still fumes over the Baltics decision to join NATO, seeing it as a betrayal of Western promises. All Baltic states are now part of NATO and the European Union. Industry in the Baltic states is prominent, especially the production of food and beverages, textiles, wood products, and electronics and the traditional stalwarts of machine building and metal fabricating. By the end of the 18th century, all Baltic territory became part of the Russian Empire. If Putin had hoped to weaken NATO, the very opposite has happened, with Finland and Sweden on the cusp of joining the transatlantic military alliance. [25] Secondly, the dependence on single supplier Russia is not healthy both for economics and politics. [23] Other studies add other indicators to this list: diversification of energy suppliers, energy import dependence and vulnerability of political system. The world over, countries are embarking on ambitious projects of industrial policy. NATO has 12 original founding member states. You may opt out at any time. About a quarter of Latvias population is nonreligious. Let us know if you have suggestions to improve this article (requires login). Throughout the course of WWII, all the Baltic States lost significant portions of their populations. Three more members joined between 1952 and 1955, and a fourth new member joined in 1982. They were also part of what Georges Clemenceau considered a strategic cordon sanitaire, the entire territory from Finland in the north to Romania in the south, between Western and Central Europe and potential Bolshevik territorial ambitions. Usernames may be updated at any time and must not contain inappropriate or offensive language. standing, Ukrainians are determined to keep fighting, and the West has so far stayed resolute in its support of Ukraine. FPsRavi Agrawalsat down with U.S. Trade RepresentativeKatherine Tai, the Biden administrations top official tasked with mapping out and implementing the White Houses trade policy. Yet below the surface, the regions defense and security arrangements, far from threatening Russia, look troublingly flimsy. FPsRavi Agrawalsat down with U.S. Trade RepresentativeKatherine Tai, the Biden administrations top official tasked with mapping out and implementing the White Houses trade policy. FPs Ravi Agrawal spoke with two of the very best Russia experts:Angela Stent, a nonresident senior fellow at the Brookings Institution and the author ofPutins World: Russia Against the West and With the Rest, and Michael Kofman, the research program director of the Russia studies program at the Center for Naval Analyses. Build the strongest argument relying on authoritative content, attorney-editor expertise, and industry defining technology. That reflects a much deeper issue: Since the dissolution of the Soviet Union in 1991, NATO has been an organization designed for peace, not war. Washingtons commitment to Taiwan hasnt been sold to the American public. On the surface, everything looks fine. Behind all that is the regional U.S. headquarters in Poland and its main headquarters for Europe in Virginia. What does that mean for trade and globalization? But even with those reinforcements, NATO forces in the Baltics likely could not defeat a large-scale Russian invasion, Baltic leaders warn. In the latter half of the 1980s, however, Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachevs policies of liberalization and greater freedom allowed the Baltic peoples to reassert their independence. These two non-NATO countries have close military ties with each other as well as NATO. All three became NATO members on 29 March 2004, and joined the EU on 1 May 2004. She has garnered widespread support and international . VILNIUS, April 23 (Reuters) - Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia on Friday joined a fast-growing list of NATO and EU members demanding the removal of Russian diplomats for alleged spying, in actions. On 23 August 1989, the Baltic Way, a two-million-strong human chain, stretched for 600km from Tallinn to Vilnius. Overall population fell in each of the Baltic states in the years following independence, primarily because of the return emigration of Russians to Russia, as well as other out-migration to western Europe and North America. Even if Moscow holds onto territory, the war has wrecked its future. [38][needs update], Since the Middle Ages, the Baltic Sea has appeared on maps in Germanic languages as the equivalent of 'East Sea': German: Ostsee, Danish: stersen, Dutch: Oostzee, Swedish: stersjn, etc. Other countries are much later to the party and more cautious in what they sayand thats before you get to the huge problem of Germany. Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania each adopted the euro as its common currency in 2011, 2014, and 2015, respectively. But the United States has been reluctant to permanently station forces on Russias doorstep, fearing it would further upset relations with Moscow. [39] During the 19th century, Baltic started to supersede Ostsee as the name for the region. However, they have also been encouraged as Western countries fortify the NATO alliance in response to Russias invasion of Ukraine. In the event of a Russian provocation, would Germany back deterrence or call for dialog and compromise? Estonia adopted the euro currency in January 2011, Latvia in January 2014, and Lithuania in January 2015. Only FP subscribers can submit questions for FP Live interviews. Additional information on the regions physical and human geography can be found in the article Europe. By one estimate from Harvard University, more than 130,000 Ukrainian soldiers have been killed or severely wounded, in addition to the deaths of more than 7,000 Ukrainian civilians. What can we glean from the current state of play on the battlefield? The rise of American-made chatbots has kicked off a flurry of Chinese activity. Omissions? Nowhere is the credibility of the United States and its allies at greater risk than in the Baltic Sea region. March 18, 2022. The countries joined the Western military alliance in 2004 but are connected to the rest of European NATO countries by only a narrow corridor, which lies between the heavily armed Russian exclave of Kaliningrad and Russia-allied Belarus. In the wake of this campaign, Gorbachev's government had privately concluded that the departure of the Baltic republics had become "inevitable". Download the FP mobile app to read anytime, anywhere. Sarotte said it depends on how permanent is defined, but that it is clear that a larger NATO presence in the east will happen, and will endure., In the view of Pabriks, the Latvian defense minister, NATOs new approach to the Baltics should mean much more capabilities, a classical strong presence in the region and also support to our national armies. If Russia does not like the prospect of a more powerful NATO, he said, then it can always choose to not threaten its neighbors., After Russias Ukraine Invasion, Baltics Push for Permanent NATO Presence. The small Baltic countries, whose militaries have long been dwarfed by that of neighboring Russia, are renewing their push for NATO to establish a larger and more permanent presence on their territory following the Russian invasion of Ukraine. [26] Therefore, Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania play a significant role not only in consuming, but also in distribution of Russian energy fuels extracting transaction fees. Albania, the Czech Republic, Iceland, Italy, Montenegro, Poland, Slovakia, Slovenia and Spain contribute to the Canadian-led battlegroup in Latvia; Belgium, the Czech Republic, Iceland, Luxembourg, the Netherlands and Norway provide contributions to the German-led battlegroup in Lithuania; Denmark, France and Iceland contribute to the UK-led Country by country, this page offers an overview of the links to national information servers and to the website of national delegations to NATO. The tripwire forces in the Baltic states are currently hostagesa reminder to the Kremlin that an attack on what Russian hard-liners regard as renegade provinces would also mean tangling with Britain, France, and Germany. Clerc, Louis; Glover, Nikolas; Jordan, Paul, eds. Soviet rule ended in the Baltic countries in 19891991, as the newly elected parliaments of the three nations declared the Soviet occupation illegal, culminating with the full restoration of the independence of the three countries in August 1991. Corrections? This page was last edited on 3 March 2023, at 15:16. [1] The Latvians also were considerably Germanized, and the majority of both the Estonians and the Latvians belong to the Lutheran church. [6] Some controversy surrounds the Baltic authoritarian rgimes due to the general stability and rapid economic growth of the period (even if brief), some commenters avoid the label "authoritarian"; others, however, condemn such an "apologetic" attitude, for example in later assessments of Krlis Ulmanis. Weekly update on whats driving U.S. national security policy. Independence from the Soviet Union in 1991 allowed the Baltic states to place controls on immigration, and, in the decade following, the Russian presence in Baltic life diminished. Is that what is going to satisfy (Baltic) security concerns? Plesch asked in an interview with VOA. "Russia perhaps needs to see this is not an isolated act of a small country of 10 million people (the Czech Republic) but that there is true sense of solidarity across the EU or NATO," he said. The forced collectivisation of agriculture began in 1947, and was completed after the mass deportation in March 1949 (see Operation Priboi). [14] During the Cold War, Lithuania and Latvia maintained legations in Washington DC, while Estonia had a mission in New York City. Russias growing military presence in Belarus highlights the vulnerability of the Suwalki corridor, the thin neck of land connecting the Baltic states and Poland. The Soviet occupation of the Baltic countries was interrupted by Nazi German invasion of the region in 1941. While separate peoples with their own customs and traditions, historical factors have introduced cultural similarities in and differences within them. [citation needed] During the occupation the Nazi authorities carried out ghettoisations and mass killings of the Jewish populations in Lithuania and Latvia. But this independence was short-lived. By the l8th century, however, Russia began seizing territory in the Baltics. However, those agreements can be regarded in significant part as null and void given Russian actions, Plesch said. Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia the Baltic countries located in north-eastern Europe are now members of the EU and NATO. It would be good to test that assumption with realistic, hard exercises where decision-makers can practice surmounting the bureaucratic and physical obstacles hampering effectiveness in real time. The Baltic states are bounded on the east by Russia, on the southeast by Belarus,on the south. By Lara Jakes March 7, 2022 VILNIUS, Lithuania Demanding assurances that the Baltic States will not become Russia's next battleground, Lithuania's president firmly told America's top diplomat. Considering some militants as instruments of regional influence while fighting others has had disastrous consequences. That was a defensibleif optimisticassumption in the 1990s. Ukraines economy and infrastructure have been dealt blows that will take decades to recover from. The Latvians and Lithuanians, linguistically and culturally related to each other, are Baltic Indo-European people. NATO needs to change too, writing a new strategic conceptin essence, the alliances manifestoto more clearly stress defense against and deterrence of a Russian attack in the region. The United States has been regularly flying Air Force RC-135 Rivet Joint electronic-eavesdropping planes over Ukraine since late December. The three Baltic countries of Northern Europe have long been allies of the United States and valued members of the NATO community. Officially, its Russian equivalent (Pribaltiyskiy) was first used in 1859. In some cases, Russians took on the nationalities of their adopted Baltic countries and were thus counted among the ethnic majorities. Eva-Maria Liimets, Estonia's Minister of Foreign Affairs, hopes a NATO meeting in June will "make permanent decisions" about how to strengthen Baltic security. In all three countries virtually everyone among the titular nationalities speaks the native tongue as their first language, which is remarkable in light of the massive Russian immigration to the Baltic states during the second half of the 20th century. The Baltic states have been sounding the alarm since the 1990s. After the end of the Cold War, NATO added 14 more members from 1999 to 2020. NATOs small air policing deploymenttypically just four warplanes based in Estonia or Lithuaniais there to deal with peacetime problems, such as airspace intrusions, not to fight off the Russian Air Force. These differing threat assessments and political approaches are obstacles to everything else. How can NATOs problems in the Baltic region be fixed? Click + to receive email alerts when new stories are published on. IR scholars think Moscow is likely to use military force, but they suggest Washington should exercise restraint. Since 2021, the tiny Baltic nation of Lithuania has come up against three authoritarian regimes: Belarus, China, and Russia. Please refer to the appropriate style manual or other sources if you have any questions. At bases elsewhere in Europe and the United States, 8,500 U.S. military personnel are on heightened alert, ready to deploy to the region as part of NATOs 40,000-strong Response Force. All quotes delayed a minimum of 15 minutes. up as tough on Beijing, even seeking to contain the rise of the worlds second-biggest economy. "The EU should have less undercover Russian spies," Lithuanian foreign affairs minister Gabrielius Landsbergis told reporters. Systems to defend ground targets against air and missile attacks are costly. Ethnic Estonians make up 69% of the population. "We are aware of the fact that the Russian tanks, which are currently burning in Ukraine, were intended for a large-scale invasion of NATO countries, including Estonia," he said. Currently, U.S. troops are part of NATOs Baltic rotational battlegroups, which are led by Germany, Britain, and Canada. During the interwar period the three countries as well as Finland and Poland sometimes were collectively referred to as limitrophe states (from French language), as they together formed a "rim" along the western border of Soviet Russia and the Soviet Union. Each of the three countries has declared itself to be the restoration of the sovereign nation that had existed from 1918 to 1940, emphasizing their contention that Soviet domination over the Baltic states during the Cold War period had been an illegal occupation and annexation. The Soviet Union conducted a policy of Russification by encouraging Russians and other Russian-speaking ethnic groups of the Soviet Union to settle in the Baltics. The Balts came to settle large portions of modern-day Russia, Belarus, Latvia, Lithuania, and northern Poland. These units obviously cannot withstand a Russian assault; they are there to make sure the Kremlin knows an attack on the Baltic states would also be an attack on other NATO members.