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Ambassadors warned that President Vladimir Putin could soon launch an invasion of the Baltic states, bringing a new war to Europe.
Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania’s top diplomats in the UK are concerned that dictators like Josef Stalin could “quickly pivot” away from Ukraine and invade the three countries.
Leaders of NATO’s Baltic states have claimed that Putin’s destruction of Ukraine evokes the “darkest memories” of the former Soviet Union’s occupation under a revolutionary regime.
Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania joined NATO in 2004 to ensure the formal security necessary to withstand future Russian threats.
This took place after the Soviet Union was disbanded on December 26, 1991, and independence was restored in the process.
But even though the three countries enjoy “stronger collective security” than ever before, “never have we faced such a dire threat,” the ambassadors said.
Estonia’s Ambassador Virhar Rubi, Latvia’s Ambassador Ivita Burmistre and Lithuania’s Chargé d’Affaires Lina Žigmantaite expressed their concerns on the occasion of their country’s 20th anniversary of NATO membership.
Criticizing other European countries for downplaying the Russian risk, they told the Telegraph:
“We knew then, as we know today, that only collective defense could guarantee Europe’s security.
“In the 1930s, this was lacking and we paid a heavy price, which Ukrainians are now paying.”
Putin may not have been able to win his two-year war with Ukraine so far, but the rebels and their atrocities against civilians have prompted ambassadors from the Baltic states to take action. was enough.
The “suffering” Ukraine is currently experiencing in the form of “deportations, torture, child abductions” and “cultural erasure” is awakening its own “darkest memories and fears.”
Reflecting these concerns, the ambassadors stated: “We are acutely aware that Russia’s war economy and battle-hardened military could quickly pivot from the south to the west.
“We agree with the intelligence community’s assessment that a sharp strategic challenge to our nation’s defense and deterrence capabilities could occur as early as three years or less.
“We have very little natural frontier east of the Baltic Sea and nowhere to escape.”
Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania are already subject to “hybrid attacks” such as cyber warfare “on a daily basis.”
As a result, leaders say they need to prepare for the worst.
“In such a situation, confusion means defeat,” the ambassadors said.
“Therefore, we and our allies must be prepared to respond quickly, convincingly, and effectively to all types of threats.”
They are now calling for “faster decision-making” in NATO to deter Russia and are calling on all member states to “invest in troops and equipment to make the alliance’s new defense plan a reality.”
The ambassadors said the Baltic states were now stepping up their strategy to ensure they were “ready to fight to protect every corner and every soul” of their countries.
But if it wants to thwart the Russian threat, they said, “NATO must do the same.”
Estonia’s Ministry of Defense has already announced that it has agreed to build a series of bunkers on its borders with Russia and Belarus to protect its troops in the event of an attack.
NATO and three EU countries signed an agreement on the construction of “anti-mobility defense facilities”.
The announcement comes after a leaked military report revealed what could be a step-by-step plan from top Kremlin officials to bring the West to the brink of World War III, which begins in the coming weeks. Ta.
To counter potential threats from Moscow, Estonia plans to build 600 concrete bunkers with power lines on its side of the border with Russia, at a cost of more than £55 million.
Each bunker is designed to hold 10 troops for long periods of time and will also be equipped with life support equipment.
According to sketches provided by the Estonian Ministry, the extensive bunker consists of a T-shaped ditch camouflaged with foliage.
These trenches are designed to withstand 152 mm artillery shells and direct enemy fire.
In addition to the maze of bunkers, a “dragon’s tooth” tank barrier, barriers, minefields and barbed wire will also be stockpiled for installation as needed.
Ukraine has withstood Moscow’s onslaught for years, but the small Baltic state is likely to be overrun within days.
And if President Putin were to attack the three NATO countries, the defense treaty allies would be forced to take military action against the Soviet Union, including Britain and the United States.
What is Nato?
The North Atlantic Treaty Organization is a political and military alliance of North American and European countries.
It was established in 1949 to counter the rising tensions of the Cold War with the Soviet Union.
Among the treaty provisions found is the principle of collective self-defense, the idea that an attack on one member state is considered an attack on all member states.
Although NATO makes decisions by consensus, the political and military strength of the United States means that it is the most powerful country in the alliance.
Its nuclear weapons are considered the ultimate security.
NATO has 31 members, most of them European, but also the United States and Canada.
The newest member state is Finland, which joined in April last year in response to Russia’s 2022 invasion of Ukraine.
Sweden has applied for membership along with Finland, but is waiting for Hungary to ratify its application as the last major step before joining.
The Baltic states – Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia – all regained independence from the former Russian Empire in the previous decade and became NATO members on March 29, 2004.
Membership in NATO provides the formal security guarantees deemed necessary to counter future Russian threats.
However, Russia has made clear that NATO membership is seen as a serious threat to Russia’s national security, especially for Latvia and Estonia, which have large ethnic Russian minorities.
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