On February 24, 2022, when the Russian Federation launched a full-scale invasion of Ukraine, the Baltic States – Lithuania, Latvia, and Estonia – were among the first to respond to the request for military and humanitarian assistance. According to the Ukraine Support Tracker, between January 24, 2022, and January 15, 2023, they were among the largest providers of military aid to Ukraine relative to their GDP – Estonia – 1.469%, Latvia – 1.128%, and Lithuania – 1.145% (Trebesch et al., 2023). One of the most important motivating factors could be the common historical past connecting the countries: the states were all part of the Soviet Union, and later, they secured their independence (Simpson, 2023). Therefore, the population of these countries, understanding the price of freedom, strives to support Ukraine on the way to its victory comprehensively.

The historical experience of the Baltic States, which were under occupation until the collapse of the USSR, and the ongoing war in Ukraine have significantly influenced the perception of their security and the possible threat from Russia today. For instance, understanding the security challenges connected with the war in Ukraine, in 2023, the Latvian government adopted a law on compulsory military service, which had been abolished in 2006. This law restores mandatory military service for men and voluntary military service for women from January 1, 2024 (Fremer, 2023). Moreover, in 2024, the Baltic States and Poland called on the EU to build a defence line on the border with Russia and Belarus to prevent possible military and hybrid threats (Brzozowski, 2024).

The full-scale war in Ukraine forced the Baltic states’ governments to reassess cooperation with Russia and evaluate the risks to their security because all three countries share a common border with the Russian Federation and are directly affected by Russian hybrid attacks. Hence, if the Russian Federation defeats Ukraine, Vladimir Putin’s imperial ambitions could not stop there, and he could be able to occupy the Baltic countries again (Haynes, 2024). The mounting threat from Russia explains the Baltic State’s deep interest and engagement in supporting and providing aid to Ukraine.

Accordingly, this paper investigates the relevance of the Baltic States’ military aid to Ukraine since the Russian full-scale invasion. The first three sections are dedicated to Lithuanian, Latvian, and Estonian military support to Ukraine. The last section includes information on joint initiatives to support Ukraine and its people.