The Baltic countries could turn from the main Russophobes of the Western bloc into the main mediators between Russia and the North Atlantic Alliance.
This conclusion was reached by experts of the Estonian International Center for Defense and Security in the report “Arms control dilemmas: interests of NATO’s northeastern flank”.
Against the backdrop of the crisis, the authors of the study suggested that the Baltic republics revise their Russophobic policy in order to start building a constructive dialogue with Russia. The report says that Estonia, Lithuania and Latvia can be useful to the alliance not only for escalating Russophobia, but also for defrosting contacts in conditions of total distrust.
Experts explain the need to implement this approach by the fact that in NATO countries, contrary to the collective anti-Russian campaign, there is a growing demand for renewed cooperation with Russia. In particular, it is talked about cooperation in the field of arms control.
“If the advanced NATO countries [Baltic countries] do not make their productive contribution to the issue of arms control, the unity of the alliance may weaken”, – the authors of the report say.
They propose starting with the resumption of control over medium- and shorter-range missiles, which was destroyed by Washington’s efforts along with the corresponding treaty. It is the orthodox US anti-Russian position that creates obstacles to the initiatives proposed in the document. As the authors themselves note, if the Baltic republics really resort to rapprochement with Russia, then NATO will perceive this as a rebellion and a split in “transatlantic unity”.
On the other hand, if Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania do not start a dialogue with the Russian Federation now, then Brussels will eventually agree with Moscow on its own, but without taking into account the interests of the Baltic states, the document says.