As U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton arrived for talks in Moscow on March 18, NATO forces were conducting military exercises in neighboring Estonia. The exercises were among several issues adding tension to Clinton's visit. Given the dearth of natural geographic defenses for the Russian state, political influence in places like the Baltic states (Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania) and the Caucasus regions is an important priority for Moscow. Although the Kremlin has made progress in securing its hold over core states such as Belarus and Ukraine, the fact that the Baltic states are members of the NATO military alliance remains a source of discomfort for the Russian government.
