RUSSIAN SIGNAL ENCOURAGES BALTIC NONALIGNMENT.

Interviewed in Finland’s leading daily Helsingin Sanomat December 11, Russia’s ambassador to Finland Yuri Deryabin suggests that Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania should adopt a policy of nonalignment on the Finnish or the Swedish model. Moreover, Russia would not object if Estonia for example were to cooperate in the field of security with Finland, Deryabin said. The three Baltic states’ nonalignment "would considerably increase Baltic [region] stability," he claimed. Their security could be guaranteed by NATO and Russia jointly, Deryabin suggested. (15)

The proposals are clearly designed to deflect the Baltic states from their quest for accession to NATO. The Finnish or the Swedish models are inapplicable to the three Baltic states because their geopolitical and internal conditions differ from those of Finland and Sweden. Russian pressures on the Baltic states also make a difference in strengthening the political consensus for NATO membership. The suggestion of a Russia-NATO condominium could only be regarded as a risky nonstarter by NATO and may be intended to add a gratuitous element of uncertainty to the regional situation.

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