The 85th anniversary of the Sumner Welles Declaration

Updated 2025-07-15

On 23 July at 12:00 PM, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Lithuania together with the U.S. Embassy in Lithuania kindly invite you to commemorate the 85th anniversary of the Sumner Welles Declaration in Washington Square.

As the national anthems are played and the flags of Lithuania and the United States are honored, the Lithuanian Armed Forces Headquarters Band will set the festive tone, along with an opportunity to enjoy American refreshments.

Together, we will celebrate 85 years of the voice of freedom echoing from Washington to Vilnius, and express our heartfelt gratitude to our ally, the United States, which never recognized the occupation of Lithuania and the other Baltic States.

The Welles Declaration – a statement issued on 23 July 1940 by Benjamin Sumner Welles, then Acting U.S. Secretary of State – laid the foundation for the U.S. policy of non-recognition of the Soviet occupation of the Baltic States.

This principled stance was symbolized by the flags of Lithuania and other Baltic nations that flew for five decades at the U.S. Department of State. The United States’ unwavering position inspired other European and global democracies to reject the occupation.

We invite you to share this invitation with everyone who cherishes the cause of freedom!

The 85th anniversary of the Sumner Welles Declaration Event

Organized by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Lithuania and the U.S. Embassy in Lithuania

#InFreedomWeTrust

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The 85th anniversary of the Sumner Welles Declaration

The 85th anniversary of the Sumner Welles Declaration

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