NATO'S BALTIC PROBLEM

Russia is still struggling to accept its relative lack of influence in the Baltic states after the breakup of the Soviet Union in 1990, and the former Soviet Socialist Republics of Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania have experienced a history of infringements on their sovereignty by Russia. [...]joining NATO (which all three did in 2004) was seen as imperative to the security of each country. Yet with the rise of populist political parties throughout the world, activating Article V could fracture NATO if one or more of NATO's more powerful members refused to come to Latvia's defense. [...]Putin might believe that a gambit with Latvia could neutralize NATO, the coalition that he likely views as Russia's greatest contemporary threat. [...]a majority of citizens in France, Italy, and Germany opposed the prospect of their country taking military action following a Russian invasion of a neighboring NATO member. The French National Front, the...