Against the backdrop of Russian aggression in Ukraine, 100 years of United States diplomatic ties with Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania were commemorated at the U.S. Capitol on September 13, 2022.
Relations with the U.S. are ever more critical for the three countries bordering their large neighbor to the east. The event was hosted by the Baltic-American Freedom Foundation (BAFF) and the Joint Baltic American National Committee (JBANC) with honorary co-hosts, the U.S Senate Baltic Freedom Caucus and the U.S. House Baltic Caucus.
The U.S. recognized the newly independent Baltic states of Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania on July 28, 1922, as Europe emerged from World War I. U.S. diplomatic recognition was maintained through the period of interwar independence and nearly 50 years of Russian occupation following the second World War. Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania regained their independence in 1990-1991, leading to the dissolution of the Soviet Union and establishing the Baltics as Western-style democracies that over time gained membership in the EU and NATO.
