Main narratives:
- Russia will dominate the Baltic region;
- The US does not care about the Baltic States.
Overview:
Kremlin-aligned Telegram channels seized on Financial Times reporting about potential US military withdrawal from the Baltics, suggesting that Baltic states will be forced to “switch sides” politically and join Russia. These channels employed historical revisionism, implying Baltic states voluntarily joined the Soviet Union and making veiled threats about future Russian conquest through statements like “this has already happened twice in the twentieth century. So changing shoes in a jump is a common thing.” These narratives extended to direct sovereignty denial, with claims characterizing Latvia as a “colony” of Britain and the United States, fundamentally undermining Baltic independence and self-determination.
Fear-mongering and subtle hints about destruction, if Latvia supports Ukraine, were evident in statements from Latvian MP Roslikovs, who suggested Latvia must support Trump and negotiations with Russia or face catastrophic consequences, claiming Latvia would “fly back to the Stone Age” otherwise.
Baltijas Balss, which used to be pro-Kremlin before the Russian full-scale invasion of Ukraine, no longer has to repeat Russian propaganda. Baltijas Balss can now directly quote US President Trump when his statements align with Russian narratives. This includes Trump repeating denigrating characterizations of Zelensky as a “dictator” and “little-known comedian” who has “coped terribly: the country is destroyed, millions of people died in vain – and all this continues.”
These narratives collectively aim to undermine Baltic sovereignty, NATO unity, and support for Ukraine while positioning Russia as an inevitable regional power that the Baltic states will eventually have to accommodate.
