World Notes SOVIET UNION

As Moscow celebrated the 1945 victory over Nazi Germany last week, Defense Minister Dmitri Yazov insisted that the Baltic states had been "liberated" by the Red Army, not occupied, as the secessionists contend. "We were met with flowers," said Yazov. But Soviet officials were the targets, of brickbats rather than bouquets in the three Baltic capitals, which jointly announced an agreement for the direct trading of their agricultural products among themselves, cutting out Soviet ministries.

ESTONIA. Parliament voted to restore a paragraph to its constitution that declares the country is "an independent republic," and to drop "Soviet Socialist" from its name. The prewar tricolor national flag was hoisted over the parliament building, replacing the red flag.

LATVIA. After parliament announced that a transition period leading to independence had begun, Soviet tanks and armored vehicles rolled through Riga. Ivars Godmanis of the Popular Front was elected Prime Minister, and panic buying emptied stores of sausages and soap.

LITHUANIA. The Council of Ministers slashed milk and meat supplies to the Soviet Union by 10% as a retaliatory move against Moscow's economic sanctions.