As of: 02/24/2022 4:51 p.m
The Baltic states have been warning of possible aggression by Russia for years. As NATO members, while feeling secure themselves, they call for more engagement from the Alliance on its eastern flank.
Even if there is great horror at Ukraine’s attack in the Baltic States, Latvian President Egils Levits does not believe that his country is currently in any acute danger. At the end of a visit to Hamburg he said:
Our country is protected. We are a member of NATO and NATO is the most powerful defense alliance in the world. Article 5 states that an attack on one NATO member automatically means an attack on all NATO members.
“Direct threat to the security of the entire region”
Lithuania’s President Gitanas Nauseda also stressed that there was no immediate danger due to NATO membership. Nevertheless, he has called for a state of emergency for his country, and parliament will most likely agree to this in the late afternoon. As a result, Lithuania can, for example, strengthen the protection of the borders with the Russian exclave of Kaliningrad and Belarus, and additional troops are to be stationed there. People and vehicles can also be searched in the border area.
Nauseda also called for more support from NATO on Lithuanian television: “It’s a direct threat to the security of the entire region.” There is therefore an urgent need for a discussion within NATO on how the security of the Baltic countries and NATO’s eastern flank can be secured. “Because rhetoric alone is no longer enough,” said Nauseda.
Worry about threat from Russia in the Baltics
2/22/2022 2:16 p.m
For a long time for a harder course against Russia
Politicians from Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania had long been calling for tougher action against Russia. Lithuanian Prime Minister Ingrida Šimonytė said the invasion was a result of only having talks with Russia for a very long time. How to behave now is trend-setting, said the Lithuanian head of government:
Now we are in a situation where our response will decide how future generations will live. It’s not just about Ukraine, it’s an attempt to impose one’s own world view on western democracies.
Tensions with parts of the Russian minority
The political world situation also affects the Baltic countries in their normal everyday life. The Russian minority partially supports Putin’s actions.
The relationship with the Lithuanians, which is often strained anyway, could deteriorate further. And one caller on Latvian radio has already decided one thing for himself: “I really feel sorry for Ukraine. And from now on I will no longer speak Russian to the Russians in Latvia. This is my protest against the war in Ukraine.”
Estonia and Latvia have also announced that they will switch off broadcasts from Russian TV channels in their countries.
Horror in the Baltic States
Sofie Donges, ARD Stockholm, 24.2.2022 3:59 p.m