REUTERS/Ints Kalnins. ", "The Annexation of the Baltic States and Its Effect on the Development of Law Prohibiting Forcible Seizure of Territory", "These Names AccuseNominal List of Latvians Deported to Soviet Russia", "Communism and Crimes against Humanity in the Baltic states", "Murder of the Jews of the Baltic States", "Country Profiles: Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania", "U.S.-Baltic Relations: Celebrating 85 Years of Friendship", Annexed Baltic States: Envoys Hold On to Lonely U.S. Postings, "The intersection of Ethnic Nationalism and People Power Tactics in the Baltic States", "Swedish political attitudes towards Baltic independence in the short twentieth century", "Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Latvia: Co-operation among the Baltic States", "Macroeconomic Legal Trends in the EU11 Countries", "Building methodology, assessing the risks: the case of energy security in the Baltic States", "The Baltic states should adopt the self-defence pinpricks doctrine: the "accumulation of events" threshold as a deterrent to Russian hybrid warfare", "Pilsonbas un migrcijas lietu prvalde Kda 404", "POPULATION BY SEX, ETHNIC NATIONALITY AND COUNTY, 1 JANUARY. For example, a Polish exercise last year, despite making generous assumptions about their access to advanced weaponry, ended with Polish forces being slaughtered in five days and the Russians poised to take Warsaw. 02/10/2022. Military mobilitythe vital business of moving large numbers of troops and equipmentis patchy too. Initially, many Estonians, Latvians, and Lithuanians considered the German army as liberators, while having hoped for the restoration of each of the three countries' independence, but instead the Nazi German invaders established a civil administration, known as the Reichskommissariat Ostland. NATO on the Map Read also: Ukrainians not prepared to forego EU and NATO membership in exchange for peace, survey shows. 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. In Baltics, Poland, grassroots groups strive to help Ukraine Since Russia invaded Ukraine last February, Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia three states on NATO's eastern flank scarred by decades of Soviet-era occupation have been among the top donors to Kyiv Show More Summary Read a brief summary of this topic Baltic states These three countries each have their own distinct language and culture, however, their histories often overlap. Let us know if you have suggestions to improve this article (requires login). But the inducements encourage U.S. companies to invest only at homenot elsewhere. Albania. Though Estonia is an important producer of oil shale, a large share of mineral and energy resources is imported. This reality gives the alliance flexibility with regard to NRFAs terms, she told VOA by email. NATO's Baltic States, Russia remove ambassadors as diplomatic relations downgraded By Andrius Sytas [1/2] A view shows the Russian embassy building in Tallinn, Estonia January 21, 2023. Forests cover over half the landmass of Estonia, Devonian sandstone cliffs in Gauja National Park, Latvia's largest and oldest national park, Jgala waterfall is the highest natural waterfall in Estonia, Gastilionys cliffs in Kauno Marios Regional Park near Kaunas, View from the Bilioniai forthill in Lithuania, Sand dunes of the Curonian Spit near Nida, which are the highest drifting sand dunes in Europe (UNESCO World Heritage Site). The latest news, analysis, and data from the country each week. It is also related to the now near-extinct Livonian language spoken as a second language by a few dozen people in Latvia. Although Russian is more widely spoken among older people the vast majority of young people are learning English instead with as many as 80 percent of young Lithuanians professing English proficiency, and similar trends in the other Baltic states. 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. In fact, in 1897, Jews made up 7.4% of the population, and were the second largest minority group in the country after Russians. By David Brennan On 10/15/21 at 7:05 AM EDT. [28] As it was in 2009 during the Russian-Ukrainian gas dispute, when states of Eastern Europe were deprived from access to the natural gas deliveries, the reoccurrence of the situation may again lead to economic, political and social crisis. [23] It was stated that from 2008, Baltic states experiences a positive change in their energy security score. Nowhere is the credibility of the United States and its allies at greater risk than in the Baltic Sea region. However, most Lithuanians, associated historically with Poland, are Roman Catholic. Country by country, this page offers an overview of the links to national information servers and to the website of national delegations to NATO. How Lithuania is spearheading EU and NATO efforts facing Russia In June 1940, the Red Army occupied all of the territory of Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania, and installed new, pro-Soviet puppet governments. [18] Other exceptions included Sweden, which was the first Western country, and one of the very few to ever do so, to recognize the incorporation of the Baltic states into the Soviet Union as lawful.[19]. 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. All quotes delayed a minimum of 15 minutes. The world over, countries are embarking on ambitious projects of industrial policy. 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. The Baltic states and Poland play their part too: Their defense budgets exceed the minimum 2 percent of GDP mandated by NATO. Explore the benefits included in your subscription. rs worth well over $400 billion. Despite considerable political turmoil in Finland, no such authoritarian figure took power there. [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. A highly productive region for the former U.S.S.R., the Baltic states catered to economies of scale in output and regional specialization in industryfor example, manufacturing electric motors, machine tools, and radio receivers. [11] (See June deportation, Soviet deportations from Estonia, Sovietization of the Baltic states). Swedish remains spoken in Estonia, particularly the Estonian Swedish dialect of the Estonian Swedes of northern Estonia and the islands (though many fled to Sweden as the USSR invaded and re-occupied Estonia in 1944). Estonia adopted the euro currency in January 2011, Latvia in January 2014, and Lithuania in January 2015. 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. All three countries are members of NATO, the European Union, the Eurozone, and the OECD. Decision-making needs streamlining. These must include surprises, disruptions, escalations, and hard decision-making, with advanced technology at the forefront. The Baltic states consist of Latvia, Lithuania, and Estonia. [27], The calculations take into account not only economic, but also technological and energy-related factors: Energy and carbon intensity of transport and households, trade balance of total energy, energy import dependency, diversification of energy mix, etc. Like Latvia, Lithuania also had a large Jewish community, but it too was decimated by the Holocaust. Download the FP mobile app to read anytime, anywhere. During a Baltics tour earlier this month, U.S. Secretary of State. About a quarter of Latvias population is nonreligious. Rinkvis wants a permanent NATO presence on the alliances eastern flank. Russia In the United States this momentous historical decision is commonly framed either as one of the greatest U.S. foreign policy achievements or an ill-advised move that diluted the alliance by taking on indefensible nations. Build the strongest argument relying on authoritative content, attorney-editor expertise, and industry defining technology. The three Baltic states are also cooperating in joint arms and equipment purchases in order to save money. Low energy supplies, inflationary prices, and an economic collapse in Russia contributed to an energy crisis in the Baltics in the 1990s. The Baltic Council of Ministers was established on 13 June 1994 to facilitate intergovernmental cooperation. Youre on the list! Author of. Covered the break-up of the Soviet Union in the 1990s. Essential analysis of the stories shaping geopolitics on the continent. Opportunistic firms in Asia and Europe have already begun to relocate investments to the United States. 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. Cue the protests from other parts of the globe: A chorus of nations are accusing Washington of fostering unfair competition. 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. The Baltic states[a] or the Baltic countries is a geopolitical term, which currently is used to group three countries: Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania. The three Baltic countries of Northern Europe have long been allies of the United States and valued members of the NATO community. Across the Baltic Sea, Sweden and Finland have also been boosting their spending. During the Cold War, the United States alleviated European security fears by positioning tactical nuclear weapons in countries such as Germany, pointed out Dan Plesch, a professor of diplomacy at the SOAS University of London. [23] Other studies add other indicators to this list: diversification of energy suppliers, energy import dependence and vulnerability of political system. Each was staffed initially by diplomats from the last governments before USSR occupation. Most Latvians are Christian, mainly belonging to the Lutheran, Roman Catholic, and East Orthodox churches. But the United States has been reluctant to permanently station forces on Russias doorstep, fearing it would further upset relations with Moscow. See here for a complete list of exchanges and delays. Is the Biden administrations China policy too hawkish? NATO cooperation . Aside from the Baltic Sea to the west, the Baltic States are bordered to the north by the Gulf of Finland, to the east by Russia, to the southeast by Belarus, and to the southwest by territory belonging to Belarus and Poland. NATO exercises used to be different: harder, bigger, and costlier. Weekly update on whats driving U.S. national security policy. Although the Baltic states are one small operational area in military terms, they have three national headquarters, each commanding pint-sized forces. standing, Ukrainians are determined to keep fighting, and the West has so far stayed resolute in its support of Ukraine. [26], As a part of the EU from 2004, Baltic states must comply with the EU's regulations in energy, environmental and security spheres. Explore the benefits of your FP subscription. Reuters provides business, financial, national and international news to professionals via desktop terminals, the world's media organizations, industry events and directly to consumers. Rich countries that are farther from the front line should pay to have them where they matter most. "From Empire to Independence: The Curious Case of the Baltic States 1917-1922." [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. 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 languages of the three Baltic peoples belong to two distinct language families. Throughout the course of WWII, all the Baltic States lost significant portions of their populations. Baltics, in Russia's Shadow, Demand Tougher Stance From West 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. Estonia had already obtained autonomy from tsarist Russia in 1917, and declared independence in February 1918, but was subsequently occupied by the German Empire until November 1918. Urmas Reinsalu. [citation needed]. Finland is the standout example of this, with military conscription, extensive training for civilian decision-makers, counter-disinformation training in schools, and regular exercises. 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. For more than 20 years, Estonias counterintelligence service has published a hard-hitting annual report about Russian subversion and other threats. Most Lithuanians are adherents of Roman Catholicism. And at the moment, he added, Russias military looks even weaker than normal after sustaining significant losses in Ukraine. German MP says Merkel shares responsibility for war in Ukraine as ex During World War I, the Russian Revolution took place, bringing an end to the czarist Russian Empire. Ethnic Estonians make up 69% of the population. Delivered Thursday. 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. Officially, its Russian equivalent (Pribaltiyskiy) was first used in 1859. Get a Britannica Premium subscription and gain access to exclusive content. Watch the conversation or read the condensed transcript. Lithuania is the southernmost of the Baltic States. Shortly after attaining independence, Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania abandoned the Russian ruble in favour of new domestic currencies (the kroon, lats, and litas, respectively), which, as they strengthened, greatly improved foreign trade. NATO's Enhanced Forward Presence (EFP) consists of four battalion-sized battlegroups (totaling about 4,500 personnel) deployed in Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, and Poland. Join FPs Ravi Agrawal for a frank discussion about the Biden administrations China policy and alternatives that it ought to consider. Soldiers of a Nato battlegroup at a ceremony marking the fifth anniversary of Nato's enhanced presence in the eastern part of the alliance in Rukla, Lithuania, on February 9th, 2022. 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. Member states of NATO - Wikipedia There is no common maritime strategy, though control of the Baltic Sea in a crisis will determine what happens on land. The Baltic states - together with Slovakia, which ordered out three Russians on Thursday - appeared to be responding to an appeal this week from the Czech Republic for European Union and NATO allies to show solidarity in removing Russian spies. It therefore makes sense for the senior U.S. officer on the continentthe Supreme Allied Commander Europe, known as SACEURto have the political preauthorization they need to issue orders in circumstances short of war. Join in-depth conversations and interact with foreign-policy experts with. Solving this requires more than a one-off, reactive deployment. 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. On the surface, everything looks fine. But beyond the goals of one leader in Moscow, it is also clear that Ukraine has suffered horrors of a historic nature.
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