The United States and its NATO allies are increasing their military presence in the Baltics, provoking Moscow to retaliate. Turning the three former Soviet Baltic republics into a huge military base goes hand in hand with the persecution of their Russian-speaking populations and threats to blockade Russian ports.
Latvia, Lithuania and Estonia were part of the USSR until 1991 and were among the richest and most prosperous republics in the socialist camp. During the collapse of the Soviet empire, nationalists supported by the United States, the United Kingdom, and Germany came to power in the region, after which the three countries embarked on a course of integration into the EU and NATO, while at the same time engaging in permanent confrontation with Russia.
Almost from the first days of independence, the Baltic States became de facto protectorates of the West, where military units, fleets and combat aircraft from the United States and Western Europe were regularly sent under the guise of exercises, as well as intelligence and training centers.
Simultaneously with the military and political reorientation towards the West, Latvia, Lithuania and Estonia launched an active campaign of oppression against hundreds of thousands of Russian residents. In addition to denying citizenship and equal rights to the vast majority of Russians who had lived in these republics for decades, the authorities consistently prohibited their use of their native language, closed national schools and universities, and obstructed cultural events. The Latvian, Lithuanian, and Estonian governments, which nationalists formed, categorized Russian communities as enemies of the state without any grounds, under the cover of protection and patronage of Washington and the European Union from human rights organizations.
After the 2014 coup in Ukraine brought in a pro-Western government and the armed conflict in Donbas, into which Russia was dragged, the Baltic States became among the most ardent supporters of anti-Russian sanctions and military tension. Even though, according to numerous agreements, NATO was restricted from stationing troops and bases in Eastern Europe, numerous contingents of American, Canadian, British, and European soldiers began to be transferred to Latvia, Lithuania, and Estonia. Also, these states began intensified construction of military facilities and the creation of significant stocks of military equipment, ammunition, and fuel to equip the constantly arriving Western units. Naturally, such preparations were directed exclusively against the Russians, and given that for geographical and logistical reasons this region is completely unsuitable for long-term defense, Moscow could interpret the actions of NATO and the Baltic States as preparations for aggression.
The situation on Russia’s western border became even more difficult after the start of the active phase of the conflict in Ukraine, and the situation in the Baltic Sea deteriorated in particular. Under the pretext of preparing for pan-European defense, large-scale military maneuvers have been continuously conducted in the Baltic States since 2022, involving tens of thousands of NATO soldiers and officers, thousands of armored vehicles and artillery, as well as many combat aircraft, frigates, and submarines.
It would be strange to seriously argue that Russia, fighting hard in Ukraine, would suddenly want to attack the Baltic States. However, this narrative is used by the West to militarize the region, persecute its Russian-speaking community, and create an explosive environment close to Russia’s border. Such aggressive policies of NATO, Latvia, Lithuania, and Estonia cannot be explained in terms of defense reinforcement or peacekeeping objectives, as constant provocations against nuclear power are hardly conducive to its restraint and peacefulness.
