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{
    "localId": "213875861",
    "label": "Memorandum from Sidney Souers to President Harry S. Truman, with Attached National Security Council Report 20/1, A Report to the National Security Council by the Department of State on United States Objectives with Respect to Russia",
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    "id": "213875861",
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    "contentType": "document",
    "title": "Memorandum from Sidney Souers to President Harry S. Truman, with Attached National Security Council Report 20/1, A Report to the National Security Council by the Department of State on United States Objectives with Respect to Russia",
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    "seq": 16,
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    "ocrText": "TOP SECRET\nof state prestige is involved. The same could presumably happen\neverywhere else throughout the satellite area without involving\nthe formal dignity of the Soviet State.\nWe are confronted, however, with a more difficult problem in\nthe actual extensions of the borders of the Soviet Union which\nhave taken place since 1939. These extensions cannot in all cases\nbe said to have been seriously detrimental to international peace\nand stability; and in certain instances it can probably be consid-\nered, from the standpoint of our objectives, that they can be en-\ntirely accepted for the sake of the maintenance of peace. In other\ncases, notably that of the Baltic countries, the question is more\ndifficult. We cannot really profess indifference to the further\nfate of the Baltic peoples. This has been reflected in our recog-\nnition policy to date with respect to those countries. And we\ncould hardly consider that international peace and stability will\nreally have ceased to be threatened as long as Europe is faced\nwith the fact that it has been possible for Moscow to crush these\nthree small countries which have been guilty of no real provoca-\ntion and which have given evidence of their ability to handle\ntheir own affairs in a progressive manner, without detriment to\nthe interests of their neighbors. It should therefore logically\nbe considered a part of U. S. objectives to see these countries\nrestored to something at least approaching a decent state of free-\ndom and independence.\nIt is clear, however, that their complete independence would\ninvolve an actual cession of territory by the Soviet Government.\nNSC 20/1\n- 8 -\nTOP SECRET"
}