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A month has passed without Ron Asmus, one of the greatest and most impressive people I had a privilege to know. He was a sincere friend of mine and my family as well as of my homeland Lithuania. Thus I was deeply saddened by the news that Ron had passed away. My cordial sympathy goes to his family, friends and colleagues. Rest in peace, Ron.

In memoriam Ron Asmus

I learned about Ron Asmus in 1996, when word began to spread about The Baltic Puzzle, a study written by him, Robert Nurick and Stephen Larabee. Then, one year before the NATO summit in Madrid, and the decision to invite Central European countries to join the Alliance, we, Lithuanians, together with Latvians and Estonians knocked on NATO's door, arguing strongly for our right to membership of the Alliance. Even though it was already clear that only the Visegrád countries may be invited. Then it seemed incomprehensible to Western Europe that the Baltic States could be invited to join NATO. And we on behalf of Professor Vytautas Landsbergis, the Estonian President Lennart Meri as well as other people threw a moral challenge: If NATO expands without the Baltic States it will be a new Munich.

Then, in spring of 1996, in a surprise move the RAND Corporation study was published commissioned by the German and US governments to deal with "the Baltic puzzle." We didn't like that the study suggested the Baltic States to agree with the study that, firstly, they are not ready for NATO membership, secondly, some people do not believe it is possible to protect the Baltic States, and thirdly, the invitation to NATO would undermine relations with Russia. The authors instead suggested inviting Estonia due to its conservative-liberal economic reforms (tax cuts and opening against the Western capital and trade) which would apply pressure to Lithuania and Latvia to get rid of the communist baggage (they still displayed a noticeable post-communist political system and there were doubts about their commitment to opening up their markets, free trade and openness to the West), to give a NATO perspective, and, to encourage the Baltic states to strengthen confidence in relations with Russia so as to scatter doubts of some Western countries that the Baltic States' membership in NATO and the EU may lead to an additional tension or even a conflict between the West and Russia (because of that I initiated policy of Lithuanian engagement in Kaliningrad).

Asmus' Baltic strategy has been discussed by NATO and EU policy makers and ultimately became the consensus view. In response, I together with the then-Lithuanian Foreign Minister Algirdas Saudargas drafted a contra-concept: one of the strongest of the Baltic States (one should understand – Lithuania) should be invited to NATO, another (Estonia) should be invited to the EU and subsequently they would help Latvia as well as each other to become members of both the EU and NATO. At the same time, this approach was endorsed by influential US politicians such as Dr. Zbigniew Brzezinski.

The study became more and more the subject of comment amongst European and US politicians and diplomats, and it was presented in spring of 1996, at a quite unusual semi-public CIA event in Chicago. Many people were invited to give a speech, including the-then Economic Counsellor at Lithuanian Embassy in the US Dalia Grybauskaitė, the current Lithuanian President as well as her counterpart from Estonia Toomas Hendrik Ilves. The event was also attended by the future Lithuanian President Valdas Adamkus, Prof. Landsbergis, the future Lithuanian Prime Minister Gediminas Kirkilas, the deputy Foreign Minister Albinas Januška, and myself. Some of us came to Chicago without an invitation after we had learned about the "covert show" through diplomatic channels and decided to perform a diplomatic protest against the 'bad guys' namely Asmus and other Americans.

In his speech, Prof. Landsbergis called the study of Asmus, Nurick and Larabee "new agreement of Munich'. I later commented in the press the recommendations as a "new Molotov-Ribbentrop pact." I know that Ron felt very resentful and even retorted publicly to Prof. Landsbergis, "Do not shoot the messenger." After having drunk a whole jug of water due to disturbance he has left the audience of some 700 people. Then Januska turned to me and said, "There is no alternative but to become friends of Ron."

And so we became. Not only the two of us. Our families have also became close. Ron's family patronized us during my service in Washington and visited our home in Vilnius and summer house near Utena in Lithuania. We maintained constant contact over the years and were regularly meeting each other when Ron, with his wife Barbara and son Erik, were in Brussels. Leading and representing the German Marshall Fund, Ron initiated and organized for a few years in a row, the Brussels Forum, where US and EU leaders together with political researchers informally discussed major international issues.

In appreciation of Ron's experience, analytical insight and contacts in Europe, the-then US Secretary of State Madeleine Albright appointed him 1997 as her deputy for European Affairs. The study on the Baltic States' membership in the EU and NATO and relations with Russia has become a milestone for Western countries. Ron also drafted the US-Baltic Charter, which stated that the US will help the Baltic States to step beyond the threshold of NATO. The Charter was signed in 1998 by US President Bill Clinton, Lithuanian President, Algirdas Brazauskas, Latvian President Guntis Ulmanis and Estonian President Meri. In recent years, Asmus dedicated most of his time to strengthening of the US and European relations as well as supporting Georgia's territorial integrity and integration.

After Barack Obama has become US President, Ron was considered as a candidate for high ranking posts in the State Department and National Security Council. But the insidious cancer had undermined his health to such an extent that he was unable to take on a new position. Ron struggled with the disease for the last three years, writing regularly both about his medical condition and the realities of international politics.

Grown up in a German-American family, Asmus told once (when no Lithuanians could even dream about the EU and NATO membership) an American radio station that he would without hesitation send his son Erik – who at that time was only five- to fight for the independence of Lithuania and other Baltic States. He will always stay in my memory – particularly as one of the few who are aware of his invaluable contribution in shaping the geostrategic decisions of European and North American leaders pertaining guarantees of our freedom, prosperity and independence that led to EU and NATO membership.

Forgive us, Ron, that we were wrong 15 years ago and tried to undermine the political knowledge bearer – a sincere friend and adviser who has helped to change the reality with his aspirations. Rest in peace, Ron. Your faith and passion for freedom and independence ​​remain for us a guiding star and incentive.

Vygaudas