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.
CEEC Statement on the 75th Anniversary of the
Elbe Meeting and the End of the
Second World War in Europe
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.
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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
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.
(Click here to view the policy paper)
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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: August 8, 2018
CEEC Advocacy Week - September 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.
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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
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
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.
CEEC Statement on Sen. John McCain
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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
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[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
Questions for the Senate Hearing to Confirm the
Nomination for Secretary of State
2017
- 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?
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CEEC Hosts Successful Policy Forum on Russia’s Information War
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.
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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.
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