NATO and the Baltic Region

Abstract：NATO’s previous summits in Madrid (2022) and Vilnius (2023) took place against the background of Russia’s brutal war in Ukraine. Important decisions to strengthen security on the north-east flank included bolstering NATO’s military presence in the Baltic region, the adoption of a new generation of regional defence plans, and the refreshment of the pledge to spend at least 2% of GDP on defence. Regional security has been further enhanced by Finland and Sweden’s accession to NATO. Major new decisions that would further strengthen the security of the Baltic region are unlikely to be taken at this year’s Washington Summit. The main challenge for the Baltic states in Washington will be to ensure that the decisions of earlier years are implemented. NATO’s track record of addressing gaps in Baltic defence is uneven and shortcomings and persistent problems on NATO’s side remain a source of constant concern for Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania. Until these issues are addressed, the Baltic region will remain a vulnerability for NATO.