
Latest Articles about Baltics

Lithuania Welcomes German Brigade
Executive Summary: The German Panzerbrigade 45 (Armored Brigade 45) was officially inaugurated in Lithuania on May 22, marking a step towards the permanent deployment of 5,000 German military personnel on NATO’s frontline by 2027. Roughly 3,200 foreign NATO troops—mainly the German-led Enhanced Forward Presence battlegroup,... MORE

Lithuania Warns Against Engagement With Georgia Over Democratic Backsliding
Executive Summary: Lithuanian Foreign Minister Kęstutis Budrys warned against diplomatic engagement with Georgia’s ruling party without a renewed commitment to democratic norms on May 20, criticizing recent crackdowns on protests, unfair elections, and restrictive laws against non-governmental organizations. Lithuania, Latvia, and Estonia have become vocal... MORE

Russia Exploits Latvian Vulnerabilities to Undermine Baltic Defenses (Part Two)
(Part One) Executive Summary: Russia is discreetly deploying new motorized rifle divisions and advanced artillery systems, including North Korean equipment, to regions near Latvia, forming a strategic reserve with little public visibility. Belarus is being transformed into an operational flank bastion through mobilization, infrastructure upgrades... MORE

Russia Exploits Latvian Vulnerabilities to Undermine Baltic Defenses (Part One)
Executive Summary: Russia’s evolving military strategy in the Baltic region is shifting from predictable linear offensives to deceptive and flanking maneuvers, with a possible thrust through southeastern Latvia that could strategically fracture the North Atlantic Treaty Organization’s (NATO) Baltic defense. Municipal governance vulnerabilities in Latvia,... MORE

Russia’s Hybrid Warfare Tactics Target the Baltics
We are publishing this piece because Ambassador Eitvydas Bajarūnas has a wide range of governmental experiences that give him unique insight into modern political warfare. Among his many overseas postings, Ambassador Bajarūnas served as the Ambassador of Lithuania to Russia and as Deputy Ambassador of... MORE

Tragic Fate of U.S. Soldiers in Lithuania Highlights Growing European Security Concerns
Executive Summary: Four U.S. soldiers, members of the 1st Brigade, 3rd Infantry Division, went missing on March 25 during training near Lithuania’s border with Belarus. The U.S. Army has confirmed that three were found dead after their armored vehicle was recovered from a deep swamp.... MORE

Grappling With Reality From the Baltic to the Bering
The first quarter of this century has proven that relations within Eurasia as a region and its relations with the rest of the world are unpredictable and volatile. The factors dividing this region often appear far more salient than any similarities. The work of the... MORE

Goodbye, Lenin: The Baltics Disconnect from Soviet-era Power Grid
Executive Summary: The Baltic states recently marked a major milestone by disconnecting from the Soviet-era electricity system and synchronizing with the continental European grid. The disconnect from the Moscow-controlled system was marked by Russian influence operations and incidents related to critical infrastructure in the Baltic... MORE

Hybrid Attacks Rise on Undersea Cables in Baltic and Arctic Regions
Executive Summary Russian hybrid attacks targeting critical undersea infrastructure (CUI), particularly fiber-optic cables, have surged in the Baltic and Arctic regions since 2021. These disruptions threaten essential communication channels and expose the vulnerabilities of Northern Europe’s infrastructure. Incidents in 2023 and 2024 involving Chinese vessels... MORE

Russian Drone Crash Exposes Critical Weakness in Latvian Comprehensive Defense
Executive Summary: An armed Russian drone crash incident reveals in Latvia on September 7 the significant shortcomings within the Latvian comprehensive defense system. These shortcomings are related to the lack of certain military capabilities within the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO). They also expose critical... MORE