Ukraine and Beyond: Understanding the Foreign Policy of the Baltic States

Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania joined the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) and the European Union (EU) in 2004. Strong advocates of transatlantic cooperation and European integration, these countries have remained critical of Russian policy and actions in their “Eastern Neighbourhood”, (The region referred to in this paper refers to six countries that are included in EU’s Eastern Partnership Initiative—an offshoot of its Neighbourhood Policy. These include the three Eastern European countries (Ukraine, Belarus, Moldova) and three countries from the South Caucasian countries (Georgia, Armenia, Azerbaijan).) a region that is seen as “Near Abroad” (The Near Abroad is a term used exclusively by Russia to refer to countries of the former Soviet Union.) by Russia. Given their turbulent history with Russia, the Baltic States have often expressed concerns regarding fallout of Russia’s policy in Ukraine and neighbouring areas for Baltic security as well, especially since the beginning of Ukraine crisis in 2013–2014. The concerns of the Baltic States have exacerbated further since the beginning of the Russia-Ukraine War on 24 February 2022. Several joint statements from these countries preceding the February 2022 escalation in Ukraine as well as afterwards have identified Russia as a main threat for Baltic security. This paper outlines foreign policy of the Baltic States in the backdrop of the ongoing developments in Ukraine. It also analyses the Baltic response to Ukraine crisis to put into perspective the security concerns of these countries.