NewsBaltic nations bolster defences amid growing fears of Russian aggression

Baltic nations bolster defences amid growing fears of Russian aggression

NATO countries located closest to Russia are preparing for the worst-case scenarios. They are increasing defence funding, strengthening borders, and looking to the West, which guarantees security in the event of Russian aggression. No one knows how Vladimir Putin might act.

Vladimir Putin may already be considering war scenarios with NATO, with the Baltic countries potentially being the first to be targeted.

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Barbara Kwiatkowska

27 March 2024 12:03

The portal natemat.pl observes the situation and sentiments in the Baltic countries. All Russian Federation neighbours are filled with apprehension, but none are panicking. However, there is significantly more public debate in these countries about the likelihood of war threats.

Sulev Vedler, deputy head of the Estonian newspaper "Eesti Ekspress," admits that the thought of a Russian attack is not new, but the fear of invasion has recently increased. Estonians have realized that the "NATO umbrella," meaning Article 5 of the North Atlantic Treaty, does not guarantee safety.

Estonia has announced the construction of 600 bunkers along the border with Russia. The military, where service is mandatory, has more specialised training. The Defence League (Kaitseliit), a voluntary national defence organisation, is growing in strength.

The significant Russian minority living in Estonia, Lithuania, and Latvia, which have a past under Soviet rule, could be a pretext for Russia to intervene militarily and for NATO a hindrance to the response. The conflict between Moscow and each of these countries could start from incidents of "violating the rights" of Russians abroad.

In the Baltic states, shelters are being built. Putin may come

Similar scenarios, as feared by the former ambassador to Latvia, Jerzy Marek Nowakowski, such as those in Crimea or Donbas, may concern each of these countries. Russians are ready to defend their "oppressed" citizens living outside their homeland.

They have mastered Hybrid Warfare very well. I would not be surprised if they tried to use it in the Baltic states, says the ambassador to Natemat.pl, who served until 2017.

The former diplomat believes such actions in the Baltic states could even occur by the end of this year or at the beginning of the next. Experts maintain that the Kremlin will be ready for war with NATO in three years, suggesting that Moscow may initiate long-distance preparations soon.

Many phenomena evidence that Russia is undertaking multidimensional preparations for military actions in countries after Ukraine. This can also be interpreted by the recent disturbances in the functioning of the GPS observed in the Baltic region.

Lithuania, Latvia, and Estonia decided in January that they would jointly and in agreement create a Baltic line of defence. The line aims to "defend the eastern flank of NATO and deprive our opponents of the freedom of movement", wrote Andris Spruds, Latvian Minister of Defence, on platform X.