North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO), military alliance established by the North Atlantic Treaty (also called the Washington Treaty) of April 4, 1949, which sought to create a counterweight to Soviet armies stationed in central and eastern Europe after World War II. Among the animals that inhabit the region are elk, boar, roe deer, wolves, hares, and badgers. There are other countries that border the Baltic Sea, such as Poland, Finland, and Sweden, but when people refer to the Baltic States, they are usually just referring to the three countries that sit on the eastern shore of the Baltic Sea, which are Latvia, Lithuania, and Estonia. Considering some militants as instruments of regional influence while fighting others has had disastrous consequences. 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. (thesis, University of Connecticut, 2013). [1] The three governments engage in intergovernmental and parliamentary cooperation. Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia were considered to be under Soviet occupation by the United States, the United Kingdom,[13] Canada, NATO, and many other countries and international organizations. NATO Is Dangerously Exposed in the Baltic - Foreign Policy The Baltic region is not rich in natural resources. [32] In Soviet times this made them appear as the "West" of the Soviet Union in the cultural and political sense, thus as close to emigration a Russian could get without leaving the USSR. Three of NATO's members are nuclear weapons states: France, the United Kingdom, and the United States. Germany has backed the two Nord Stream natural gas pipelines along the Baltic seabed. Although this may give the Kremlin clues about sources, methods, and targeting, the benefits in terms of deterrence, political will, and societal resilience are much greater. For everyone living around the Baltic Sea, it will be better to find their shortcomings early and fix them than to wait until the enemy is at the gates. This let Estonians, Latvians and Lithuanians preserve a high degree of Europe-oriented national identity. It is bordered to the south by Latvia, to the north by the Gulf of Finland, to the east by Russia, and to the west by the Baltic Sea. Nobody in Polandor, for that matter, anyone else involved in the regions securitywould claim privately that defenses against Russia are adequate. The financial stability of the Baltic nations was an important prerequisite to their entering the European Union and the North Atlantic Treaty Organization in 2004. 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. standing, Ukrainians are determined to keep fighting, and the West has so far stayed resolute in its support of Ukraine. Artis Pabriks, Latvia's Minister of Defense, tells VOA that if Russia does not like NATO expansion, then Moscow can stop threatening its smaller neighbors. Even if Moscow holds onto territory, the war has wrecked its future. Please select which sections you would like to print: Ambassador of Lithuania to Israel. NATO - Member countries Many Baltic leaders hope a permanent NATO presence will be discussed this week when U.S. President Joe Biden visits Brussels, Belgium, for meetings with NATO and other European leaders. Delivered Wednesday. Baltic states | History, Map, People, Independence, & Facts 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. In fact, in 1897, Jews made up 7.4% of the population, and were the second largest minority group in the country after Russians. Poles are the largest minority, making up 6.6% of the countrys population. NATO as an integral structure will cease to exist." That would lead to a "fundamental collapse of the West" with some countries even willing to accept missile strikes on Poland and the Baltic . Repressions, executions and mass deportations followed after that in the Baltics. Three more members joined between 1952 and 1955, and a fourth new member joined in 1982. NATO has 12 original founding member states. Malowist, M. The Economic and Social Development of the Baltic Countries from the Fifteenth to the Seventeenth Centuries.. The Baltics are the only former Soviet states that have joined the EU and NATO, and provided an example to the likes of Ukraine over a possible route to European integration. The area that now constitutes the Baltic States was first inhabited by Finno-Ugric tribes. [citation needed] Skrunda-1, the last Russian military radar in the Baltics, officially suspended operations in August 1998.[17]. These differing threat assessments and political approaches are obstacles to everything else. The default username below has been generated using the first name and last initial on your FP subscriber account. However, they have also been encouraged as Western countries fortify the NATO alliance in response to Russias invasion of Ukraine. Most Latvians are Christian, mainly belonging to the Lutheran, Roman Catholic, and East Orthodox churches. The Russian president got many things wrong about invading Ukrainebut not everything. [25] Due to their Soviet past, Baltic states have several gas pipelines on their territories coming from Russia. 1941 saw the invasion and occupation of Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia by Nazi Germany, before the Red Army re-conquered the territory in 19441945, after which the Soviet Union maintained control over the three countries until 1991. Let us know if you have suggestions to improve this article (requires login). The Baltic states consist of Latvia, Lithuania, and Estonia. Indeed, Russians are still Estonias biggest ethnic minority today, comprising 25% of the population. Turkey in NATO - Wikipedia This meaning is retained in the two modern Baltic languages, where baltas in Lithuanian and balts in Latvian mean 'white'. Encyclopaedia Britannica's editors oversee subject areas in which they have extensive knowledge, whether from years of experience gained by working on that content or via study for an advanced degree. Estonia and northern part of Latvia were ceded by Sweden, and incorporated into the Russian Empire at the end of the Great Northern War in 1721, while most of the territory of what is now Lithuania came under Russian rule after the Third Partition of PolishLithuanian Commonwealth in 1795. It had, however, been embroiled in a bloody civil war back in 1918, something that had not happened in the Baltic states. NATO on the Map Usually the concept of energy security is related to the uninterruptible supply, sufficient energy storage, advanced technological development of energy sector and environmental regulations. By the end of the 18th century, all Baltic territory became part of the Russian Empire. Private farms were confiscated, and farmers were made to join the collective farms. In terms of religion, just over half of Estonians are unaffiliated Christians. Youre on the list! "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 . Latvia, for example, was a leading producer of Soviet radio receivers. Life expectancy in the Baltic states is comparatively low by European standards, as are the rates of natural increase, which were negative in all three countries at the beginning of the 21st century, owing in part to an aging population. (2020 est.) Another factor: the NRFA is not a legally binding document, added Mary Elise Sarotte, a Cold War historian and professor at the Johns Hopkins University School of Advanced International Studies. The battle was fought in 1410during the PolishLithuanianTeutonic War. Estonia fought a successful war of independence against Soviet Russia in 19181920. [9][10] The Soviet Union attempted to Sovietize its occupied territories, by means such as deportations and instituting the Russian language as the only working language. Compared with other regional groupings in Europe, such as the Nordic Council or Visegrd Group, Baltic cooperation is rather limited. More NATO troops needed from 'Baltic to Black Sea'. Biden Weighs Deploying Thousands of Troops to Eastern Europe and The populations of each Baltic country belong to several Christian denominations, a reflection of historical circumstances. 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. Is that what is going to satisfy (Baltic) security concerns? Plesch asked in an interview with VOA. When WWI ended, the Baltic peoples fought off attempts by the newly-created Soviet Union to take back control of their territory, and in 1920, the Soviets signed treaties with Latvia, Lithuania, and Estonia, recognizing their independence. Security correspondent from 2003 to 2008. 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. Test yourself on the week of Feb. 25: Nigeria votes, Finland builds a border wall, and Israel escalates repression. The Baltic states are bounded on the west and north by the Baltic Sea, which gives the region its name, on the east by Russia, on the southeast by Belarus, and on the southwest by Poland and an exclave of Russia. It starts with the Wests attitude to Russia. By the time the North Atlantic Council, NATOs political body, has met, been briefed, deliberated, ironed out potentially dissenting views from countries such as Hungary, and reached a decision, it could be too late. But the United States has been reluctant to permanently station forces on Russias doorstep, fearing it would further upset relations with Moscow. The pandemics outbreak brought rare reporting freedoms. Like Latvia, Lithuania also had a large Jewish community, but it too was decimated by the Holocaust. All three countries are member states of the European Union, and the Eurozone. Pop. Get a Britannica Premium subscription and gain access to exclusive content. Since 1991, NATO has been an organization designed for peace, not wara dangerously outdated assumption. The last Russian troops were withdrawn from there in August 1994. Read also: Hungary's Orban pushes for US-Russia talks on Ukraine, praises Merkel She said the fact . In Cold War West Germany, for example, British and U.S. tanks would thunder across farmland, crushing hedges and ruining crops. 6.2 United States. On this Wikipedia the language links are at the top of the page across from the article title. There are also about 4,000 NATO troops in the Baltic States. Delivered Monday-Saturday. 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. NATO - Topic: NATO-Russia relations: the facts The industry leader for online information for tax, accounting and finance professionals. This page was last edited on 3 March 2023, at 15:16. Through the efforts of the Polish authorities in recent years, contacts with Russia have been virtually frozen, a shameful war with Soviet monuments has been launched, attempts are being made to torpedo Russian energy projects, a large-scale anti-Russian information campaign is being carried out, history is being falsified, and anti-Russian sanctions by the West are endlessly prolonged, it said. During a Baltics tour earlier this month, U.S. Secretary of State. Want to read more on this topic or region? The Baltic states and Poland play their part too: Their defense budgets exceed the minimum 2 percent of GDP mandated by NATO. All three are today liberal democracies, with unicameral parliaments elected by popular vote for four-year terms: Riigikogu in Estonia, Saeima in Latvia and Seimas in Lithuania. NATO also has overwhelming air power superiority that would factor into any battle with Russia in the Baltics, Plesch pointed out. Click + to receive email alerts when new stories are published on. Ethnic Estonians make up 69% of the population. Additional information on the regions physical and human geography can be found in the article Europe. This also poses a threat to energy security of the Baltic states, because slows down the renewable energy consumption and lead to low rates of energy efficiency.[25]. Ukraine is dominating the election in Estonia, a key NATO ally. Here's NATO and the Baltic states - Tactics Institute NATO's Article 5 pledges the alliance to defend its members. Strack-Zimmermann recalled that back in 2008, when many NATO member states were advocating for Ukraine's early membership, Germany and France remained opposed out of respect for Russia's position. Around this time, Poles eclipsed Russians as the largest minority in Lithuania. Somewhere else are the Brits with their Joint Expeditionary Forcea 10-nation military framework for rapid deploymentand the Germany-based Joint Support and Enabling Command, which is meant to ensure that the right forces are in the right place at the right time. Latvian, an East Baltic language, is the countrys official language. Because the three countries had been independent nations prior to their occupation by the Soviet Union, there was a strong feeling of national identity (often labeled "bourgeois nationalism" by the Communist Party) and popular resentment towards the imposed Soviet rule in the three countries, in combination with Soviet cultural policy, which employed superficial multiculturalism (in order for the Soviet Union to appear as a multinational union based on the free will of its peoples) in limits allowed by the communist "internationalist" (but in effect pro-Russification) ideology and under tight control of the Communist Party (those of the Baltic nationals who crossed the line were called "bourgeois nationalists" and repressed). 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. Three decades after the collapse of the Soviet Union, Moscow maintains imposing and generously staffed embassies across central and eastern Europe, which the host countries say provide convenient cover for espionage. 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. 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. Many Estonians are non-religious or atheist. 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. Between the 10th and 13th centuries, the Baltic peoples came under siege from all directions. Weekly update on developments in India and its neighbors. Prime Minister Kaja Kallas made history as the first female prime minister of the tiny European Union member state in 2021. A French soldier takes part in NATO military drills as part of the alliance's Enhanced Forward Presence deployment in Poland and the Baltic nations of Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania, at the . NATO cooperation . Lithuanias capital and largest city is Vilnius, which is situated close to the countrys border with Belarus, in the southeast. Russian rule would extend over the Baltics until the early 20th century. Like Ukraine, the three Baltic states Latvia, Lithuania and Estonia were once part of the Soviet Union. [11] (See June deportation, Soviet deportations from Estonia, Sovietization of the Baltic states). What can we glean from the current state of play on the battlefield? Latvia is sandwiched between Estonia to the north and Lithuania to the south. 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. The Baltic States were subsequently admitted to the United Nations. Interview with VOA on March 14, 2022. What does that mean for trade and globalization? Seven ex-Soviet bloc states have now ejected Russians, Explusions gather pace after Czech call for solidarity, Moscow complains of attempts to wreck relations. The European Unions fumbling efforts to codify its approach to common security and defense policy need clear language on military preparedness and its willingness to use force in response to aggression. Even before the invasion, some questioned whether NATO could actually defend its Baltic members from a Russian attack. Your guide to the most important world stories of the day. FILE - In this photo provided by the French army Friday March 18, 2022, a French soldier from the 7th Mountain Battalion wears a NATO badge at Amari air base, Estonia, Thursday, March 17, 2022. In August 1940, all three Baltic States were made Soviet republics, which meant that they became part of the USSR. Across the Baltic Sea, Sweden and Finland have also been boosting their spending. Combined, Poland plus the Nordic countries and three Baltic states have a greater GDP than Russias. 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. Indeed, the Baltic Sea lies mostly to the east of Germany, Denmark, Norway, and Sweden. A curated selection of our very best long reads. In August 2001, Latvia and Estonia agreed to jointly purchase long-range radars from Lockheed Martin. [25] Finally, the low technological enhancement results in slow adaptation of new technologies, such as construction and use of renewable sources of energy. In nearby Poland, the United States has a more substantial presence of 5,000 service members. Vikings from Scandinavia, Slavs from the east, and Germanics from the west conquered most of the territory that now comprises the Baltic States, except Lithuania. Sending this force to the alliance's most exposed members in Eastern Europe, even though NATO has no intention of taking part in the war, is a powerful, tangible indicator of NATO's commitment . A multitude of rivers, notably the Neman (Lithuanian: Nemunas) and Western Dvina (Latvian: Daugava), empty northwestward into the Baltic Sea. Ukrainian civilians are given military training in Kyiv, February 2022. After Russia's Ukraine Invasion, Baltics Push for Permanent NATO Presence The Baltic States subsequently came under Nazi occupation, but by 1945, the Soviets retook the Baltics, which again became part of the USSR. Economically, parallel with political changes and a transition to democracy as a rule of law states the nations' previous command economies were transformed via the legislation into market economies, and set up or renewed the major macroeconomic factors: budgetary rules, national audit, national currency and central bank.