Central and East European Coalition

Established in 1994, CEEC is composed of eighteen national, membership-based organizations representing Americans of 
Armenian, Belarusan, Bulgarian, Czech, Estonian, Georgian, Hungarian, Latvian, Lithuanian, Polish, Romanian, Slovak, and Ukrainian descent.

Letter to President Trump on Troop Withdrawal from Germany - July 15, 2020 

The President

The White House

Washington, DC 20500


Dear Mr. President:


The Central and East European Coalition (CEEC), representing over 20 million Americans of central and eastern European heritage, is writing to express our concern over the prospect of withdrawing large numbers of American troops from Germany. Such a move would directly weaken the security of frontline states like Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, and Poland – and of the United States and the rest of NATO by extension; reduce U.S. influence in Europe; and embolden Russian President Putin to continue or increase his aggressive policies that threaten European democracy and transatlantic security.


These U.S. forces in Germany are what give operational credibility to American and NATO forces operating out of Poland and the Enhanced Forward Presence battalions in the Baltic nations. Many members of our communities have served in the U.S. armed forces, often in the European theater, and understand that Germany holds a unique position in the transatlantic alliance. Cleary, it has not yet increased its defense spending to the 2% threshold members pledged over ten years at the 2014 NATO summit in Wales. At the same time, the German government has allowed the U.S. and other allies to build bases, airfields, hospitals and communities, and host tens of thousands of servicemembers and their families, on German soil. This is an indispensable contribution to the success of NATO and the deterrence the alliance has enforced since 1949. The infrastructure and force presence established in Germany cannot be reduced or replicated elsewhere without compromising the military power they have come to represent.


NATO’s continued success depends on solidarity and strengthening the trust and relationships built among its allies over seven decades. Withdrawing U.S. forces from Germany would gravely undermine that trust and those relationships. The CEEC calls for U.S. policy and action that uphold the long history of American leadership in NATO to ensure that transatlantic security remains strong and effective. To this end, we ask that U.S. force levels in Germany remain at their current levels or higher.


The CEEC was established in 1994 and represents more than 20 million American voters whose heritage lies in this region. Its member organizations cooperate in calling attention to issues of mutual concern, especially as regards United States policy toward Central and East Europe. The CEEC regularly shares its concerns and ideas with the United States Congress and Administration.


We thank you for your consideration on this vitally important issue to U.S. national security. Please contact the undersigned at karinshueyeanc@gmail.com with any questions or comments.


On behalf of the CEEC,


Karin A. Shuey

Commander, U.S. Navy (Retired)

Washington, DC Director

Estonian American National Council


Cc: Secretary of Defense

Secretary of State

Chairman and Ranking Member, Senate Armed Services Committee

Chairman and Ranking Member, House Armed Services Committee

Statement regarding the E&C Joint Subcommittee Hearing on Disinformation

Washington, DC (June 22, 2020) ---- The Central and East European Coalition (CEEC) welcomes and strongly supports the June 24 discussion on online disinformation, announced by the House Committee on Energy and Commerce.


The CEEC stresses that fighting disinformation and promoting media literacy is crucial in the fast-changing media environment. CEEC members share much experience with dealing with and identifying the distorting effects of Russian disinformation.


In fighting disinformation, coordination and information-sharing is key, because many of the tactics and tools are similar across the world, no matter the geographical borders. That is why the CEEC encourages exchanges of best practices and even stronger cooperation between the United States and NATO, including efforts, for instance, within the NATO Strategic Communications Centre of Excellence, based in Riga, Latvia.


We encourage strong U.S. cooperation with European allies where we have seen good examples of work in exposing Russian disinformation and false narratives. For instance, the European Union's External Action Service Task Force, dedicated to exposing Russian disinformation, provides new information and analysis on a regular basis.


In fighting disinformation, accountability of social media platforms is also crucial. Therefore, the CEEC supports a unified response within the U.S. and its transatlantic allies in NATO and Europe, in terms of coordinating the actions towards holding social media companies accountable, from both a legal framework and practical approach. A common Code of Practice against disinformation, currently in place within the European Union, could be one of such examples for cooperation.


CEEC Statement on the 75th Anniversary of the
Elbe Meeting and the End of the
Second World War in Europe

May 6, 2020

Washington, DC


On April 25, 2020, the White House released a Joint Statement by President Donald J. Trump and President Vladimir Putin of Russia commemorating the 75th Anniversary of the Meeting on the Elbe. In honor of the May 8th anniversary of the end of World War II, the CEEC objects to this statement and calls for the United States government to recognize the anniversary’s tragic historical significance as it marked the beginning of 50 years of oppression for the nations of our heritage.

In the statement, both parties highlighted the “historic meeting between American and Soviet troops, who shook hands on the damaged bridge over the Elbe River…herald[ing] the decisive defeat of the Nazi regime.” In addition, the statement conveys “the 'Spirit of the Elbe' [as] an example of how our countries can put aside differences, build trust, and cooperate in pursuit of a greater cause.”

The CEEC is alarmed over the statement’s disregard of the brutal legacy of the Soviet Union, its enabling of the Kremlin’s historical revisionism, and its failure to recognize the Putin regime’s revanchism in Europe. We find the statement to be inconsistent with a committed stance against Moscow’s ongoing antagonism toward the U.S. and its allies. 

We recognize that the end of Hitler and Nazism was a historic victory for the U.S., Europe, and the world. We also realize that nations across the globe today must work together to coordinate efforts against pandemics and other threats to the human race. However, this joint statement with Putin on the legacy of WWII fails on a number of fronts.

The statement does not include historical context acknowledging that the Allies’ partnership with the Soviet Union precipitated almost 50 years of Moscow's subjugation of half of Europe. Under the totalitarian rule of the Soviet Union, Central and Eastern European nations suffered rampant human rights abuses, political and economic corruption, and loss of fundamental freedoms.

Indeed, the statement enables the Kremlin’s dangerous historical revisionism that seeks to validate the Soviet Union and its post-Soviet incarnation as a partner to build “trust” with. We must remember the hegemony that the Soviets wrought in Europe, and how Americans led the West in the Cold War against it for nearly half a century. We must not let the U.S. be complicit in the Putin regime's false narrative of the Soviet Union’s legacy.

In the context of this legacy, the statement also fails to acknowledge the Putin regime’s calculated foreign policy to undermine U.S. interests and dominate democracies at its borders and around the globe. Putin has called the collapse of the Soviet empire “the greatest geopolitical catastrophe of the 20th century.” In noting the U.S. and Russia “put aside differences, build trust, and cooperate in pursuit of a greater cause … to confront the most important challenges of the 21st century,” the statement in fact facilitates the military and political revanchism over Europe that Putin continues to plot.

Today, Putin’s regime continues to antagonize the U.S. and its allies in Europe through a hybrid war of disinformation, election interference, cyber-attacks, and protracted occupation of parts of Ukraine and Georgia. It threatens the peace and stability that American leadership has enabled through decades of investment and partnership after WWII. We cannot afford to “put aside differences” of principle, rule of law, and aggressive actions.

As we mark the 75th anniversary of the end of WWII, the CEEC calls for U.S. policy and action that uphold democratic values and the long history of American leadership in protecting them. We urge President Trump to place those values ahead of engaging with a regime that fails to respect the sovereignty of other nations, promotes the corrupt legacy of a failed state, and continues to wage aggression against the U.S. and its allies. 


CEEC Advocacy Day


June 13, 2019



The Central and East European Coalition is holding an advocacy day to meet with Senators and Representatives from DC, Maryland and Virginia. Local DC area community members are encouraged to join us as constituents to discuss issues important to U.S. policy for the CEE region.


#CEECAdvocacy2019


RSVP: jbanc@jbanc.org

116th Congress Policy Brief 
Spring 2019 (effective as of March 25th)

The Central and East European Coalition (CEEC), representing more than 20 million Americans whose heritage lies in that region, regularly highlights legislation to share its concerns and ideas with the United States Congress and Administration. The legislation listed below reflects our concerns for the region and we advocate for the support of our Senators and Representatives.

CEEC Advocacy Week - September 2018

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: August 8, 2018


Washington, DC (CEEC) – During the week of September 17th, The Central and Eastern European Coalition (CEEC) will hold a timely in district advocacy week. This endeavor is especially critical considering the recent NATO Summit.


NATO remains salient to the countries of Central and Eastern Europe (CEE) to deter threats from the Russian Federation. CEE members in NATO provide key support and a rising number (Poland, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Romania) are providing 2% of their GDP towards defense spending to address the new realities. The Eastern flank of Europe remains nevertheless exposed to the Putin regime’s continuous aggressive disregard for international law and attempts to disrupt the post-WWII liberal international order.


The goal for this advocacy week is to encourage Members of Congress to continue their support for the CEE region. Specific items include supporting the recently introduced Defending American Security from Kremlin Aggression Act 2018 (S.3336) and full implementation of all existing sanctions legislation; continued support for military cooperation with CEE nations; enhancing military assistance to nations occupied by Russia; and reaffirming U.S. support for Ukraine, Moldova and Georgia in their efforts to retain political sovereignty and territorial integrity.


The CEEC encourages the active participation of all our communities in promoting the need for greater U.S. foreign policy engagement in Central and Eastern Europe. This advocacy week will provide an opportunity for members of our communities to meet and advocate issues of mutual interest.


For further information, please contact the CEEC via email at ceecoalition@gmail.com or by calling (301) 340-1954.


Established in 1994, the Central and Eastern European Coalition is comprised of 18 nationwide organizations representing more than 20 million Americans who trace their heritage to that part of the world. 


Central and East European Coalition Questions Controversial Concert


Last month, an event titled “A Concert for Unity” was held at the Washington National Cathedral.  It was billed as an invitation-only affair presented in cooperation with the Embassy of the Russian Federation.  The concert announcement listed sponsors including the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts and the Wilson Center’s Kennan Institute, among other, less prominent non-profit organizations whose mission statements assert support for the arts, Russian culture, democracy and/or religious freedom. The full announcement is available at wilsoncenter.org.  

The concert caught the attention of the Central and East European Coalition (CEEC) due to the controversial background of the artists listed.  Two of the featured performers are known agents of Putin’s campaign of economic and cultural influence to promote Putin's Russia and normalize relations with the Kremlin.  Conductor Valeri Gergiev and pianist Denis Matsuev are both on record endorsing Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and occupation of Crimea, and performed in Syria while Russian warplanes were bombing Aleppo. Gergiev also performed in Georgia days after the 2008 Russian invasion, effectively endorsing ethnic cleansing of Georgians.

The CEEC considered the event an affront to the values of its member organizations and was surprised that the Kennan Institute and Kennedy Center would lend their names in support. Washington Post reporting indicated that the event was funded by a DC socialite who has a history of promoting cultural understanding between the U.S. and Russia, and that the Kennedy Center supported the event in name only.  Even so, the CEEC has pursued the matter further by writing to three institutions – the Kennan Institute, the Kennedy Center and the National Cathedral – expressing dismay and requesting more information from the leader of each regarding their rationale for backing the event.

While the CEEC understands that the aim of the event may have been to keep politics and cultural pursuits separate, this message would have been more effective if the event’s benefactor and featured artists didn’t have clear political ties. These artists and the source of the event’s funding certainly did according to Washington Post article linked above. 

The CEEC hopes that the institutions in question will respond to its letters and will publish any pertinent updates as they are received. The organization was established in 1994 to coordinate the efforts of ethnic organizations whose members continue to maintain strong cultural, economic, and political ties to the countries of central and eastern Europe.  It represents Americans of Armenian, Belarusian, Bulgarian, Czech, Estonian, Georgian, Hungarian, Latvian, Lithuanian, Polish, Romanian, Slovak, and Ukrainian descent.  Its member organizations, including the Estonian American National Council, cooperate in calling attention to issues of mutual concern, especially regarding United States policy toward Central and East Europe.  


By Karin Shuey, theEstonian American National Council (EANC)



The

Central and East European Coalition

invites you to a policy seminar

Russia on NATO’s Doorstep:

The West's Response to the

Kremlin's Wargames

to examine the execution, outcomes and aftermath of Russia’s large-scale

Zapad 2017 military exercise


Confirmed speakers:

Ambassador Kurt Volker,  Special Representative for Ukraine Negotiations

Stephen Blank, American Foreign Policy Council Senior Fellow for Russia

Eitvydas Bajarunas, Ambassador-at-Large for Hybrid Threats, Lithuanian MFA
Alex Tiersky, Global Security and Political-Military Affairs Advisor, U.S. Helsinki Commission

Invited speakers (responses pending):

John Lenczowski, President, Institute of World Politics

Coalition Moderator: Mamuka Tsereteli, Georgian Association in the U.S.A.


Wednesday September 27, 2017
                                                                        3:30-5:30 p.m.
U.S. Capitol Visitor Center
Room SVC-201

CEEC Statement on Sen. John McCain











 CEEC and it's organizations have often met with Sen. McCain over the years.


July 27, 2017 


In light of the unexpected recent news about his health, the Central and East European Coalition wishes Sen. John McCain well in his fight with cancer. We express thanks to the Senator for his dedicated support for allies in Europe. A great friend to the region, and an outstanding public servant, his record upholds American values, and he serves as a role model for all. 

 Sincerely, 

The Central East and European Coalition



[The CEEC has submitted the following questions to the U.S. Senate Foreign Relations Committee in advance of the January 11, 2017 nomination hearing of Mr. Rex Wayne Tillerson

of Texas, to be Secretary of State]


Questions for the Senate Hearing to Confirm the

Nomination for Secretary of State

2017


The Central and East European Coalition is comprised of 18 national membership organizations that represent more than 22 million Americans who trace their heritage to Central and Eastern Europe (CEE). We advocate for issues of key importance and interest to our respective constituencies, in particular matters that affect the stability and well-being of Central and Eastern Europe as well as U.S. strategic interests in the region.

 

  1. As Secretary of State, what would your strategy be to deal with Russian aggression in Ukraine and other Russia-related threats in Central and Eastern Europe?  How do you propose addressing Russia's perceived "spheres of influence" or national interests versus another country's territorial integrity and national interests?  What options would you employ to achieve Russia’s withdrawal from lands it unlawfully controls, such as Crimea, eastern Ukraine, Abkhazia, South Ossetia, and Transnistria?

 

2. What is your position on the sanctions against Russia with respect to both Ukraine and Crimea?

 

3. How do you view NATO’s role in countering Russian aggression? What is your position on maintaining U.S./NATO equipment and troops permanently in CEE? Please provide specifics.

 

4. Where do you stand on NATO enlargement, to include countries such as Georgia and Ukraine? 

 

5. What is your position on the Visa Waiver Program’s expansion to include other CEE countries, such as Poland? How would you make that happen?

 

6. Considering Russia's long history of using gas and oil as means of political and economic pressure, what is your position on U.S. assistance to ensure energy security and independence in the CEE region?


7. What should the Administration's priorities be on countering and exposing foreign disinformation, cyber-, and information warfare? How can the U.S. be more effective in fighting on this front? What interagency efforts are needed to be more successful?


8. What is your position on the proposed Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership (TTIP)?  Are you in favor of moving forward with these negotiations? If so, what do you think are the key provisions that would benefit the U.S.?


9. Do you consider Russia’s policies toward Central and Eastern Europe as being inimical or at least potentially inimical to U.S. national interests? If so, what concrete Russian policies do you consider as being contrary to U.S. geo-political interests in the region. How will the Trump administration address Russian policies in furtherance of its plans to make America great again?


10. Do you believe that U.S. interests are best served and cement long-standing friendships when Washington publicly lectures Central and Eastern European NATO allies about their internal matters, as the current Administration has done?


11. As a Co-Chair of the OSCE Minsk Group, the United States plays a critical role in maintaining stability in the South Caucasus region through its mediation of the Nagorno Karabakh conflict. While OSCE Co-Chairs have determined there is no military solution to the conflict, Azerbaijan continues to violate the 1994/5 cease-fire agreements and has committed ISIS-style atrocities. How will you hold Azerbaijan accountable for its actions and ensure a peaceful and just resolution to this conflict?


12. 2015 marked the centenary of the Armenian Genocide, which was condemned as a crime against humanity by the Allied Powers as it occurred, but which Turkey denies to this day. Pope Francis publicly affirmed the Armenian Genocide stating it is an open wound that must be healed. What steps will you take to end its denial and reaffirm the proud chapter in U.S. diplomatic history to help save the survivors of the first genocide of the twentieth century?

CEEC Hosts Successful Policy Forum on Russia’s Information War

By Karin Shuey

(Washington, DC - October 3, 2016) --- The Central and East European Coalition hosted a timely and substantive event on Thursday, September 15, to discuss the topic “Russia’s Info War:  What is the Impact?”  A panel of four distinguished experts shared their views of and experiences with the issue.  Panel members were David Ensor, former Voice of America Director; Jeffrey Gedmin, former director of Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty (RFE/RL); Liz Wahl, former correspondent for RT America; and Marius Laurinavicius, Hudson Institute Baltic-American Freedom Foundation Fellow. The panel was moderated by Mamuka Tsereteli of the Georgian Association in the U.S.A. and the Johns Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies.

Discussion of the problem revolved around several themes, including declining journalistic standards, our flawed understanding of Russia’s strategic goals, and lack of clarity on U.S. goals.  The speakers noted that we are living in a post-factual world where we’re becoming numb to shock value.  The rules of journalism and regard for truth that guided the news media in the past are losing significance while public trust of the media and discrimination regarding reliable sources are also fading.


On the Kremlin’s goals, it was noted that propaganda has always been a part of Russian and Soviet military doctrine.  Russia calls its latest arsenal new generation warfare, fighting a total war on numerous fronts, to include political, economic, energy, cyber and information, in addition to more conventional military operations.  The speakers saw a gap in U.S. policy that doesn’t fully recognize the broad extent of Putin’s aggression or his efforts to divide and weaken Europe and minimize or eliminate U.S. influence in the region.


Another U.S. shortcoming was identified as our loss of what we stand for.  Putin may be playing a weak hand, but he’s finding his way because we’ve lost ours.  One aspect of this is our still treating as valid agreements that Russia broke long ago.  We need to clarify our foreign policy goals and employ the right tools, rooted in accurate, reliable info.  The recent trend in rising relativism is diluting our values and objectivity.


The event concluded with proposed steps for moving forward.  Renewed confidence in the media and making facts matter again, among the producers of the news and consumers, was a top concern.  One speaker observed that Putin must know Russia’s population is interested in the truth; otherwise he wouldn’t expend so much effort on containing and oppressing it.  There’s a large audience for RFE/RL and local media outlets to use the internet to present objective truth in an effort to counteract the Kremlin’s control over state media.   While there was consensus that recovering objectivity and values could be a long-term battle, on a more positive note, Western governments are growing more aware of the problems and working on effective ways to address them.


The CEEC was established to coordinate the efforts of ethnic organizations whose members continue to maintain strong cultural, economic, political, and religious ties to the countries of Central and East Europe.  It represents Americans of Armenian, Belarusian, Bulgarian, Czech, Estonian, Georgian, Hungarian, Latvian, Lithuanian, Polish, Romanian, Slovak, and Ukrainian descent.  Its member organizations cooperate in calling attention to issues of mutual concern, especially as regards United States policy toward Central and East Europe.


Panelists from left: Marius Laurinavicius, Jeffrey Gedmin, Mamuka Tsereteli, David Ensor, Liz Wahl.

CEEC Statement on NATO

The Central and East European Coalition (CEEC), representing more than 20 million Central and Eastern European Americans, strongly backs the United States' continued unconditional commitment to upholding the NATO Treaty as well as U.S. support for the territorial integrity and sovereignty of all Central and Eastern European nations. Our organization stands firm in its belief that America's close cooperation with all NATO allies and partners is fundamental to ensuring U.S. and European security. The CEEC urges both the current and future Administrations to continue developing allied relations with all NATO members and transatlantic partners, and to take such action as deemed necessary to maintain security of the Alliance, including the European Reassurance Initiative. 


The renewed aggressive behavior and actions of Russia against Central and Eastern European nations have raised the importance of NATO’s credibility and cohesiveness for regional stability. In February 2016, then-NATO Supreme Allied Commander Gen. Philip Breedlove stated at a hearing of the U.S. House Armed Services Committee that "Russia has chosen to be an adversary and poses a long-term existential threat to the United States and to our European allies and partners.”  Earlier this year the CEEC sponsored a policy forum on NATO’s stance on Russia on Capitol Hill. A major theme of our discussion characterized Russia’s increasing aggression since 2008 not only in terms of fanning regional conflicts but as a fundamental assault on the post-World War II international order.

At the Warsaw Summit in July 2016, NATO stated it was fully prepared to defend the alliance and pledged an increase in military spending, in response to Russia’s unpredictable and aggressive behavior in the region. The CEEC believes the commitment by the United States to NATO countries should be based on collective defense, shared values, and democratic principles, as well as support for regional partners. We have, and continue to support the principle of NATO’s Open Door policy, for all willing and qualified nations. 


The Central and Eastern European region is facing a multitude of threats from Russia. It is imperative for NATO members and partners to share collective knowledge in key security areas for combating a multitude of hybrid war forms, including cyber, media and economic manipulation, and destabilization in energy security. The CEEC supports U.S. continued commitment and leadership in addressing these threats.

The security of the United States lies in the peaceful expansion of democracy, not in the appeasement of aggressor states making imperial claims. Proactive U.S. leadership is vital to NATO’s continued effectiveness, to protect peace and security in Europe. The crisis driven by Russia in Central and Eastern Europe, and in Ukraine specifically, will not just go away. In an informationally interconnected and economically interdependent world, the United States must take the lead in promoting international norms and consolidating geopolitical stability.


1612 K Street, NW, Suite 1200 Washington, D.C. 20006 


CEEC Policy Seminar on
"NATO's Stance on Russia - Vision or Reaction?"

Opening Remarks: Marju Rink-Abel, Estonian American National Council
Keynote Address: Dr. Michael Carpenter, Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense
Speakers:
Kurt Volker, McCain Institute, former U.S. Permanent Representative to NATO
Mindaugas Zickus, Deputy Chief of Mission, Embassy of Lithuania
Damian Murphy, U.S. Senate Foreign Relations Committee, 
Moderator: Mamuka Tsereteli, Georgian Association in the U.S.A.
Tuesday, April 19, 2016
4:30 - 6:30 p.m. Discussion
6:30 - 7:30 p.m. Reception 
Dirksen Senate Office Building - room 106

To RSVP:
ceecoalition@gmail.com or jbanc@jbanc.org
The region of Central and Eastern Europe is currently experiencing stress from a number of sources.  The most serious one is that the peace and stability attained after the collapse of the Soviet Union are again severely threatened.  Events in Ukraine are the most visible, but they are by far not the only troubling developments.  The goals of building and sustaining democracy require ongoing implementation of economic and political reforms, such as fighting corruption. The current situation in Central and Eastern Europe is of major concern to Americans of Central and East European descent.  The Central and East European Coalition (CEEC) is an alliance of U.S.-based ethnic organizations representing over 20 million such Americans.  

A number of Members of Congress and their staffs have recently visited the region. The CEEC is organizing a briefing session in the Capitol Visitor Center, on September 16, 2015, during which Members and staff have been asked to share their thoughts about visits to the region – why it was important to make the visits, with whom they met, what were their impressions, what was accomplished, what follow-up is expected, etc.  Thus, we kindly invite you to attend.

The briefing session will begin at 4:45 p.m. and will last till 6 p.m.  The briefing will take place in CVC (House) Room 200.  Constituents from various CEEC organizations will be in attendance to ask questions and add their views.

For further information and to RSVP, please contact Michael Sawkiw, Jr., Director at the Ukrainian National Information Service (unis@ucca.org, tel. 202-547-0018), or Karl Altau, Managing Director, Joint Baltic American National Committee (jbanc@jbanc.org, tel. 301-340-1954).

Sincerely,

Karl Altau
--------------

On Behalf of the Central and East European Coalition

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