NATO's eastern flank vulnerabilities exposed amid Russian threat
30 September 2024 13:11
General Alexander Sollfrank, the head of the NATO Joint Support Command (JSEC), highlights the gaps and shortcomings in the strategy to repel an attack from Russia on NATO's eastern flanks and stresses the necessity of preparing for such a possibility. According to the military officer, there is no readiness to defend against the enemy without investment in the road infrastructure of Lithuania, Latvia, Estonia, and Poland.
A NATO command expert warns that the situation is serious. There is still no motorway or fast rail connection between the individual Baltic states.
As explained by General Alexander Sollfrank, head of the NATO Joint Support Command, in an interview with Reuters, it is high time for the Atlantic alliance to implement procedures and technical capabilities for the rapid transfer of heavy weaponry and ammunition. After the enlargement of the pact, NATO's eastern border is approximately 4,000 kilometres, so troop mobility is crucial for defence against a hostile attack from Russia in this context.
NATO considers war scenarios. What if the Russians strike the Baltic countries?
According to the military officer, the Baltic states have gained support west of their maritime borders after the accession of Sweden and Finland. However, there is still no guarantee against a potential blitz attack from the Kremlin on Lithuania, Latvia, or Estonia.
Therefore, questions are being raised in these countries about the strategy of allied forces in such a scenario. Each of these countries' military potential is too small to independently stop a Russian invasion.
A frequently considered scenario involves a simultaneous strike by Russian forces on Lithuania from the Kaliningrad Oblast and Belarus. This could result in cutting off the Baltic states from Poland.
The last section of the Via Baltica in Poland has just been put into use. This allows unobstructed access from Western Europe to the Polish-Lithuanian border, but moving further east may already be more difficult.
Rail could help in the rapid transfer of NATO troops. But the rail connection is also not perfect. European tracks extend only from Poland to Kaunas. Beyond that, the old infrastructure inherited from the USSR remains.
A new rail infrastructure project, Rail Baltica, is planned. It is to be a high-speed route between Warsaw and Helsinki. However, the project has been delayed by at least five years. The reasons for these delays include many problems, such as rising investment costs or recent high inflation.
