U.S. Deputy Secretary of State Strobe Talbott reassured the Baltic states on January 24 that the door to NATO remained open to them—despite strong Russian opposition.

Talbott, in a major speech to Estonian leaders and diplomats in Tallinn, said Washington had made a firm commitment to one day admitting Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania into the alliance. At a news conference later, Talbott wouldn_t say if he thought the stated Baltic goal of NATO membership within five years was realistic. But he suggested they couldn_t be kept waiting in the wings indefinitely. Moscow has denounced moves to extend NATO membership to the Baltic nations, saying it would be perceived as a threat to Russian security. The issue has also been controversial in the West. Critics say the three Baltics, sandwiched between the Baltic Sea and Russia, are too vulnerable military and would weaken NATO as members. Talbott disagreed, arguing that Baltic membership would enhance the security of all countries in the region, including Russia. Talbott praised the Baltic countries for their open-market reforms and fast-paced development, and he said they shouldn_t be shunned just because of any geopolitical complexities. He added that Russians needed to abandon outdated, Soviet-era notions that increased security for one country in their neighborhood meant a corresponding loss in security for themselves. He added that the security of the Baltic states was important to American interest, saying "the fate of the Baltic states is nothing less than a litmus test for the fate of the entire region." Talbott said he backed proposals for stronger economic ties between the Baltics, the Nordic nations and Russia, saying the Hanseatic trading system that thrived in this region in the Middle Ages was a good model. He said such ties would help bolster security.