International History Declassified

N.S. Khrushchev reflects on Fidel Castro's impulsive and desperate nature, comparing him to a peasant who values a bear's skin over his own safety, illustrating Castro's dangerous push for nuclear war during the Cuban Crisis.

This July 1997 memo outlines a proposed "Hanseatic Strategy" to support future NATO membership for the Baltic states. Acknowledging political resistance within the US and NATO, concerns over defensibility, and Russian opposition, the memo proposes a three-part strategy.

On October 8, 1996, Acting Secretary of State Strobe Talbott met with Lithuanian Foreign Minister Povilas Gylys to discuss NATO enlargement. Gylys warned that excluding Lithuania from early rounds of accession would damage its security and risk public perception of Western disengagement, while expressing concern over Kaliningrad’s future role. Talbott reassured Gylys of the US commitment to Baltic inclusion, emphasized that NATO’s door remains open, and framed the Baltic Action Plan as a complementary—not compensatory—measure to support accession and regional stability.

On August 29, 1996, Acting Secretary of State Strobe Talbott briefed representatives from Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania on the US Baltic Action Plan—a three-track strategy aimed at supporting the Baltics’ integration into Western institutions.

This document details a March 25, 1996, meeting between US Deputy Secretary of State Strobe Talbott and Estonian Foreign Minister Siim Kallas. Discussions focused on NATO enlargement, Baltic security, Russia's aggressive rhetoric ahead of elections, and Estonia’s commitment to reform and sovereignty. Talbott reaffirmed US support for Baltic sovereignty and NATO eligibility, encouraged Nordic-Baltic cooperation, and recommended addressing human rights concerns through the OSCE.