Ukraine ceasefire to increase the Russian threat in the Baltic region, warns, warns

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The ceasefire in Ukraine will dramatically increase the security threat to the Baltic countries, as Russia will continue plans for refining and redistribution of troops into the northeast flank of NATO.

Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania, which were annexed by the Soviet Union before returning independence in the 1990s, are worried that Moscow will not stop in Ukraine as soon as the Trump Brob The Baltic countries note that the Kremlin has already outlined plans to increase military production and additional troops along its borders.

“We all understand that when the war in Ukraine is stopped, Russia quickly redistributes its strength,” said Estonian Defense Minister Khan Pecur The Financial Times. “This means that the threat level will also increase very quickly.”

His Lithuanian colleague Dovilė šakalienė made similar remarks being in the UK earlier the week.

“Let’s have no illusions. Let’s not lie to ourselves that Russia will be done after Ukraine,” she said. “Russia will use this time after the ceasefire to speed up their military capabilities. They already have a huge, prepared field that will be even greater.”

The Trump administration has negotiated with Russia and Ukraine, stopping the war, but the complete ceasefire is still being considered so far. While Kyiv agreed to the immediate cessation of hostilities in the Black Sea and the 30-day ceasefire, Moscow still only promised to stop the attacks on the energy infrastructure, saying it would comply with the Black Sea only after the West has lifted economic sanctions.

However, the stop in the fight would give Russia the opportunity to fulfill its plans 2022 on raising 1.5 million strong army and Add the entire new army body in the north, Doubling the number of troops near Finland and the Baltic.

Nechakur said that of 600,000 Russian troops, which are estimated to be in Ukraine, 300,000 would probably be redirected. “These men will not return to different parts of Russia to collect corn or do something else because the salary they receive in the army is five -10 times more than what they could get in their hometown.”

The Baltic States are particularly concerned about large -scale military exercises known as the West, which will be held close to their borders in Russia and Belarus this fall. They are held every four years, workouts mimic conflict with NATO countries and include tens of thousands of troops, tanks, planes and artillery.

Both ministers also warned from the redistribution of any NATO troops from their countries to form the so -called European “assurance force”, which should be sent to Post -conflict Ukraine as a means to stop Russia from the attack again.

“We cannot jeopardize NATO’s eastern flank security,” Pecur said. “We cannot trap that our forces are somehow recorded in Ukraine. Then we will have a risk on our border.”

The Eastern flank -nation, including Poland and Romania, stated that they could not make a commitment to deploy troops in Ukraine at the expense of their own security. Estonia also objected to the UK plans to rethink the British forces of Ukraine intended to protect the Baltic States.

Currently, Lithuania is defended by a German brigade, which must be placed on its soil in the coming months, Latvia is protected by a transnational force led by Canada, and Estonia is protected by a British brigade that can be sent from the UK when a brief message.

“At the moment, we have just under a thousand UK troops in Estonia,” said British Defense Minister John Hill earlier this week. “This consistent iron’s commitment to Estonia will continue – and it will continue because Estonia and our troops … are on the NATO front.”