Latvia to invest €300 million to boost defence on Russian border
Latvia is looking to invest some 300 million euros over the next five years to strengthen its eastern border with Russia and Belarus, as per Defence Ministry plans approved by the government on March 5.
The plans envisage the construction of defence facilities and fortified positions for soldiers along the eastern border of the Baltic EU and NATO country, the DPA news agency reports.
Various obstacles, anti-tank ditches, ammunition depots and mine dumps are also to be built, the Latvian State Chancellery announced.
The move is part of efforts to create a Baltic defence line together with Estonia and Lithuania to protect against potential attacks from Russia or Moscow’s close ally Belarus, according to the statement.
The defence ministers of the three Baltic States had struck an agreement on a joint defence line in January. While the three countries will coordinate their efforts, in line with NATO’s defence policy, each Baltic state will finance the project individually.
The Baltic states have been among Ukraine’s most vocal backers in its defence against the all-out Russian invasion launched more than two years ago. Amid the Russian advances, they have repeatedly raised the alarm over a potential threat to their own territories.