Why didn't the three Baltic states join the Commonwealth of Independent States?Why do you think that Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania turned toward closer relations with the European Union and NATO, and why didn't they join the CIS?



Answer :

Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania cannot really trust Russia (the leader of the Commonwealth of Independent States) as Russia forcibly made those states part of the Soviet Union and and did allow for democracy there. That's why they don't want to be part of CIS. They  can afford not to be due to their location in Europe, next to western Europe, so then can claim help from western Europe in case of Russian Invasion (unlike Kazakhstan for example).