Great Moments

At the website of the Council on Foreign Relations, Uffe Ellemann-Jensen, who was Denmark's Foreign Minister from 1982 to 1993, writes eloquently about the struggle of the Baltic States for the restoration of their independence:

I believe that the free world is sustained by the presence of American power and America's willingness to use that power against those who threaten us. Even though the Baltics did obtain their freedom, it is adequate to question whether it was the right decision to leave the Baltics on their own during these critical days in January 1991. The Baltics stood up bravely, much to the surprise of the Soviet leaders who had completely underestimated popular resistance. Nevertheless, Gorbachev could easily have ordered a bloody end to the independence movements in the Baltics.

(Via MAK)