The official position of Russia is a continuation of the Soviet position that Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania were not annexed by the Soviet Union but joined of their own accord in 1940. Russia insists that incorporation of the Baltic states gained international "de jure" recognition by the agreements made in the Yalta and Potsdam conferences and by the Helsinki accords. They have also argued that in accordance to the internal Soviet laws and constitution, restoration of independence was illegal and the Baltic republics could become newly created sovereign entities only via the secession laws of the USSR. According to this position, all previous treaties, such as the Treaty of Tartu, are invalidated, and all possible claims by Baltic states for monetary compensation have no legal basis. This alternate thesis on continuity of the Baltic states and its related consequences has fueled a fundamental confrontation between Russia and the Baltic states.