title: The Baltic Contingency: NATO’s Evolving Force Posture in the Region
abstract: This chapter traces the arc of NATO’s evolving force posture in the Baltic states. As such, it scrutinizes the different measures allies have undertaken to signal their willingness to fulfill Article 5 obligations vis-à-vis Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania. The material discussed here suggests that, over time, the transatlantic alliance has approached the Baltic defense question in radically different ways. Prior to 2014, NATO governments were reluctant to establish any military infrastructure or 