How did the failed Moscow coup of August 1991 help secure Lithuania’s independence?

Although Lithuania had already declared the reestablishment of its independence on March 11, 1990, the failed Moscow coup of August 1991 served as the critical catalyst for securing that independence in practice and gaining international recognition.12

Following the collapse of the coup attempt, the political landscape within the Soviet Union shifted rapidly, allowing the Baltic states to formally exit the union. In the immediate aftermath of the failed coup, Lithuania successfully solidified its status as an independent nation, leading to its formal admission to the United Nations in September 1991 alongside Estonia and Latvia. This transition marked the final realization of the sovereignty that the Lithuanian legislature had sought to restore the previous year.312