Estonia: Baltic States Must Build Deterrence Against Russia
According to the webangah News Agency, Estonian President Alar Karis emphasized the need for demonstrating strength to counter Russia, stating: “As very small countries, we must base our defense on deterrence. As everyone knows,Russia onyl recognizes power.”
In an interview with Lithuania’s national broadcaster, Karis warned: “We have a neighbor that has been highly aggressive-not just now in Ukraine but historically toward others. We once forgot that the ambition to seize neighboring lands is embedded in Russia’s DNA.”
Referencing Estonia’s history with Russia, he added: “We had a peace treaty between Estonia adn Russia in 1920, yet 20 years later, they invaded our country. So these peace treaties don’t help us.”
The president also demanded security guarantees for Ukraine and stressed that Russia cannot be trusted.
The remarks come amid heightened concerns over potential Russian threats against baltic states following its invasion of Ukraine. estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania-all NATO members-have strongly supported Kyiv since February 2022 and called for bolstered NATO military presence in Eastern Europe.
Experts view these statements as reflecting the region’s deep unease about long-term Russian threats. The Baltics have recently pushed for meaningful increases in defense spending and permanent NATO troop deployments.
