Russia and the Baltics Since the Restoration of Independence
On May 4, 1990, the Republic of Latvia declared its independence from the Soviet Union, ending fifty years of occupation that began in 1940. Similarly, Lithuania and Estonia celebrated the 35th anniversary of their independence restoration in 2025 - Lithuania on March 11 and Estonia on March 30. As the Baltic States mark over three decades of sovereignty following the dissolution of the Soviet Union, it becomes essential to analyze their evolving relationship with the Russian Federation, the Soviet Union’s successor state.