Estonia’s 20 years in NATO shows value of alliance

Twenty years ago, on March 29, 2004, Estonia, along with Bulgaria, Latvia, Lithuania, Romania, Slovakia, and Slovenia, joined the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO). This was the biggest single NATO expansion in the history of the alliance founded 75 years ago on April 4, 1949, to provide security against threats by the Soviet Union.

As an Estonian-American activist, I had worked with representatives of the Latvian and Lithuanian communities in Chicago to advocate for NATO membership for the Baltic nations. These three countries had been illegally occupied by the Soviet Union since the end of World War II until 1991. We emphasized that these nations would be assets to NATO and good allies in the war on terror. Several of us were honored to attend the induction ceremony on the White House lawn in Washington, D.C. We saw the prime ministers of the new member nations and witnessed U.S. President George W. Bush deliver welcoming remarks.

As an American of Estonian heritage, I am proud that Estonia has fulfilled its obligations to NATO. Estonia has consistently met NATO’s target of spending at least 2% of its economic output on defense. Estonia’s first contribution to NATO was in 2005. The Estonian Navy’s flagship Admiral Pitka served as the staff and support ship of Standing NATO Response Force Mine Countermeasures Group 1.

Since 2008, the NATO Cooperative Cyber Defence Centre of Excellence (CCDCOE) has been located in Tallinn, Estonia. It serves as a multinational and interdisciplinary cyber defense hub. This is critical, as computers are increasingly being used to launch attacks on infrastructure and to disrupt activities around the world.

If Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania were not part of NATO, it is highly probable that Russian dictator Vladimir Putin would have attacked these small independent nations before Ukraine in his quest to rebuild the Russian empire. Estonia has been an outspoken critic of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, which coincidentally was launched on Estonia’s 104th Independence Day, Feb. 24, 2022.

Estonia has provided aid to Ukraine and taken in refugees. In fact, Putin recently placed Estonian Prime Minister Kaja Kallas on a “wanted” list supposedly for “destroying Soviet monuments,” but actually in an attempt to silence her and to discredit her active criticism of Russian aggression.

It is disturbing to hear some American politicians and their friends question the continued need for NATO. If anything, it is now more important than ever for countries to stand together and to actively oppose those who seek to expand totalitarian regimes.

This Good Friday, as Estonia celebrates its 20 year milestone of NATO membership, please join in supporting the continued success and sustainability of this critical defensive alliance – the North Atlantic Treaty Organization.

• Gilda M. Karu, of Arlington Heights, is secretary of the Estonian American National Council.