The collapse of communism in Central and Eastern Europe has removed this region's former security system and left it many difficult and intractable problems. Among them are the continuing presence of Russian troops and sizable Russian minorities in Latvia, Lithuania, and Estonia. These new Baltic states, fearing Russian imperialism's revival and the presence of these large Russian communities, have demanded the speedy withdrawal of the troops and have passed citizenship laws aimed at strengthening the position of their titular nationalities at the expense of the Russians. These Baltic positions have aroused much opposition in Moscow, where the Russian government is under enormous pressure to intervene on behalf of Russians residing in Baltic states and to retain Russian access to Baltic military facilities. This pressure reflects the overall effort of the right-wing parties in Russia to restore the 1945 borders and to retain privileges for Russians in their new diaspora. Naturally, those aims are unacceptable to the Baltic states, whose sovereignty and integrity would then be compromised. Thus the Baltic impasse ties together Russia's domestic uncertainty with international fears of a revival of the Russian empire. The prospect of a resurgent Russia has sufficiently alarmed NATO, the CSCE, the Scandinavian, and other littoral states of the Baltic Sea to persuade them to support the Baltic states' demand that troops leave as soon as possible and sign guarantees of Baltic security. For these reasons, it is clear that without sustained western and U.S. support for the Baltic position, albeit in such a way that also recognizes Russia's legitimate interests, the Baltic will remain a sea of contention. And as long as this area is unsettled, it is likely that most, if not all, of the old Soviet bloc also will remain in the security limbo mentioned above. For these reasons the author of this report argues for an accord satisfying both sides and guaranteed by the effective and sustained force of the littoral states, NATO and the CSCE. Those institutions, along with individual states, can guarantee that the new Russia, whatever its domestic complexion, does not revert to imperialism, a development that would destabilize all of Europe. Accordingly, this report's conclusion points to the need for a vibrant NATO Alliance and a strong American presence to support the countries of Eastern Europe. In the past, only Western support allowed these states to remain sovereign entities; in this regard little has changed. But today NATO, the CSCE, the United States, and other countries may be called upon to secure not only the Baltic states, but also other East European countries and the prospects for a democratic state system in the region that embraces Russia. Back to Table of Contents Russia and the Baltic Is There a Threat to European Security? Back to SSI List of Issues Back to MagWeb Magazine List © Copyright 1993 by US Army War College. This article appears in MagWeb (Magazine Web) on the Internet World Wide Web. Other articles from military history and related magazines are available at http://www.magweb.com