Minister: Russia gears up for new military presence near Estonia’s border

Estonian Foreign Minister Margus Tsahkna has said that Russia is preparing to establish a new level of military presence near its border with Estonia, raising concerns in the Baltic region.

Tsahkna revealed his concerns regarding Russia's military activities stating "We can already see on the other side of the border that Russia is preparing large-scale infrastructure for a new level of military presence," Caliber.Az reports via Russian media. 

Although Tsahkna does not anticipate a direct invasion of Estonia by Russia in the near future, he expressed his worries about the potential for a limited Russian military deployment.

He suggested that a small contingent of Russian troops could be sent to one of the NATO member states, including Estonia, Finland, Lithuania, Poland, or Romania. This, he believes, could be part of an effort to test the readiness of the NATO alliance to fulfill its collective defence obligations. 

The EU is set to initiate a large-scale initiative to strengthen its defence industry to deter Russia and assist Ukraine, especially as the US reduces its presence on the continent, according to a draft of the so-called White Paper on defence. 

“Rebuilding European defence requires a massive investment over a sustained period,” the draft states. The paper, which has been prepared by EU Defense Commissioner Andrius Kubilius and the EU's chief diplomat Kaja Kallas, is scheduled to be presented to EU leaders next week. However, the draft may still undergo changes before its official release.

Key components of the new EU policy include prioritizing weapons production within the bloc and with "like-minded third-country companies," promoting joint arms purchases, simplifying the financing of defence projects, focusing on critical areas where the bloc faces capacity gaps such as air defence and military mobility, and reducing bureaucratic hurdles for defence investments. Russia's actions have been the primary catalyst for this new policy.

“Russia is an existential threat to the Union and given its past record of invading its neighbours and its current expansionist policies, the need to deter from Russian armed aggression will remain even after a just and lasting peace agreement with Ukraine,” the draft states. The immediate focus is to ensure that Ukraine can continue defending itself against Russian attacks. 

“Without significant additional military resources, particularly now that the US has suspended its support, Ukraine would not be able to negotiate a just and lasting peace from a position of strength,” the paper highlights.

By Naila Huseynova