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BALTIC SEA REGIONAL SECURITY

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

Witnesses

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Mr. Douglas D. Jones

Deputy Permanent Representative

United States Mission to NATO

Lt. Gen. Stephen M. Twitty

Deputy Commander

United States European Command

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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

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Director-General Janne Kuusela

Director-General, Defense Policy Department

Ministry of Defense of the Republic of Finland

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State Secretary Jan-Olof Lind

State Secretary to the Minister for Defense

Ministry of Defense of the Kingdom of Sweden

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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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