Marking the 85th anniversary of the Sumner Welles Declaration
Updated 2025-07-29
July 23, 2025, marks the 85th anniversary of the Sumner Welles Declaration, in which the United States condemned the Soviet occupation of Lithuania, Latvia, and Estonia and refused to recognize the annexation of the Baltic States.
Marking the significance of the Welles Declaration for Baltic States's freedom, representatives of the Lithuanian, Latvian, and Estonian Embassies, the U.S. Department of State, and the JBANC gathered to commemorate the anniversary of the declaration and honor the authors of the declaration, Sumner Welles and Loy Henderson, at Rock Creek Cemetery in Washington, D.C. This traditional ceremony happening since 2015 expresses gratitude to our ally, the United States, for never recognizing the occupation of the Baltic States.
On July 23, 1940, Acting U.S. Secretary of State Benjamin Sumner Welles issued a declaration in which the United States officially condemned the Soviet occupation of the Baltic States and did not recognize their annexation. This position was consistently maintained throughout the Cold War and remained in effect until the restoration of the independence of the Baltic States in 1990–1991. The Welles Declaration also allowed Lithuania to maintain its Embassy building in Washington D.C. throughout the years of occupation, where Lithuanian diplomats have been working continuously for over a hundred years.
