America, the Baltic States and the Making of an Unlikely Security Alliance

This open access book reckons with the US-Baltic security alliance. It traces the uncertain beginnings of this partnership, illuminating how the United States, rather than Europe, became the key underwriter of Baltic security. The manuscript captures the many contradictions, setbacks and disappointments that had to be overcome on both sides of the Atlantic for these ties to mature into a formal treaty alliance. Drawing upon sizable archival material and interviews with key participants, the book’s chapters illuminate America’s stance and role on the questions of Baltic independence, Russian troop removal in the early 1990s, and the Baltic road to NATO. Turning to current affairs, the material scrutinizes the United States’ force posture on NATO’s eastern flank alongside the enduring question of alliance abandonment.