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BALTIC SEA REGIONAL SECURITY

A Field Hearing of the U.S. Commission on Security and Cooperation in Europe

Tuesday, July 2, 2019, 4:00 am
Witnesses
Mr. Douglas D. Jones
Deputy Permanent Representative
United States Mission to NATO
Lt. Gen. Stephen M. Twitty
Deputy Commander
United States European Command
Minister Raimundas Karoblis
Minister of National Defense
Ministry of National Defense of the Republic of Lithuania
Major General Krzysztof Król
Deputy Chief of the General Staff of the Polish Armed Forces
Republic of Poland
Director-General Janne Kuusela
Director-General, Defense Policy Department
Ministry of Defense of the Republic of Finland
State Secretary Jan-Olof Lind
State Secretary to the Minister for Defense
Ministry of Defense of the Kingdom of Sweden
Permanent Secretary Kristjan Prikk
Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Defense
Ministry of Defense of the Republic of Estonia

For the first time in its 43-year history, the Commission on Security and Cooperation in Europe, also known as the U.S. Helsinki Commission, convened outside of the United States for a field hearing to underscore America's commitment to security in the Baltic Sea region and its unwavering support for U.S. friends and allies.

At this historic hearing, held less than 80 miles from Russia's border, senior U.S. civilian and military leaders outlined America's collaborative approach to enhancing security in the region. High-level officials from Lithuania, Poland, Finland, Sweden, and Estonia provided regional perspectives on the evolving security environment in and around the Baltic Sea.

Against the backdrop of the location of the first battle of World War II, panelists discussed regional maritime threats-including Kremlin aggression-and possible responses; the current effectiveness of NATO's deterrent posture in the Baltics; the transatlantic security architecture; and hybrid and emerging threats.

 

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