Russia: An Increasingly Attractive Partner for the Baltics

The deterioration of Europe's political and financial institutions has forced Baltic states to consider forging stronger ties with Russia, the country they generally regard as the biggest threat to their respective national securities. Indeed, their foremost goal since the collapse of the Soviet Union has been greater independence from their eastern neighbor.

But Russian markets have become more attractive as those of continental Europe have weakened, so the Baltics are improving ties with Russia for the sake of their economic well-being despite their security concerns. For example, the foreign ministers of Estonia and Russia met in Kaliningrad on June 6 to discuss their countries' progress over several bilateral agreements, including a long-disputed border treaty. Baltic states will not abandon their goals of attaining greater independence from Russia, but they understand that greater independence partly depends on economic prosperity and that working with Europe alone will not help them achieve these goals.