Sumner Welles, the Under Secretary of State for the United States, issued a pivotal declaration outlining America’s non-recognition policy concerning the Soviet occupation and annexation of the Baltic states: Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania. This statement was made against the backdrop of World War II, during a time when the Soviet Union had rapidly expanded its territory under the pretext of security. The Baltic states had been independent since the end of World War I, and their forced incorporation into the Soviet Union was largely viewed as a violation of international law and principles of self-determination.

Welles’ declaration served as a formal rebuke of the Soviet actions and underscored the U.S. commitment to uphold the principle of non-recognition of territorial gains achieved through coercion. Notably, the non-recognition policy was a cornerstone of U.S. foreign relations and was leveraged to support nations whose sovereignty had been compromised. It reflected a diplomatic stance that would resonate throughout wartime and into the post-war period, as the U.S. sought to establish its global leadership by promoting democratic principles.

The declaration indicated that the United States would not consider the Baltic republics as part of the USSR. This policy would have lasting implications for U.S.-Soviet relations and contributed to the narrative surrounding Baltic independence throughout the Cold War, as well as their eventual re-establishment of sovereignty in 1990.