Amid increasing Russian airspace violations in the Baltic region, Baltic nations are urging NATO to enhance its air defense capabilities. Recent incidents have prompted calls for concrete actions to strengthen security along NATO's eastern flank. The situation is deemed 'very dangerous' by experts, highlighting the urgency for a robust response.
Baltic Nations Urge NATO to Bolster Air Defense Amid Rising Tensions
Alarm in the East: "The Situation is Very Dangerous"
Russian violations in the Baltic Sea area are causing concern in the Baltics. Now, the Baltic countries want NATO to strengthen its air defense capabilities in the region.
"The situation is very dangerous. We must take these violations very seriously," says security expert Maria Martisiute to Lithuanian TV3.
Poland, Romania, and Estonia have recently experienced several Russian airspace violations in the Baltic Sea area.
Baltic Nations: "We Must Equip Ourselves"
On Tuesday, the defense alliance held a meeting in Brussels regarding the violation in Estonia. In a joint statement afterward, they condemned the intrusion and promised a "robust response."
Lithuania's President Gitanas Nausėda believes that the response must be concrete measures to strengthen air defense in the Baltics.
"NATO must provide us with air defense capabilities – because that is what is most needed right now. This could lead to a breakthrough and strengthen security in the Baltics and along the entire eastern flank," he tells Lithuanian TV3.
Estonia's Alar Karis shares the same view.
"To keep Russia away from our borders, we must strengthen air security, and even more, strengthen air defense," he says according to the Estonian news site Delfi.
"Situation Very Dangerous"
After the drone intrusion in Poland on September 10, NATO announced it would strengthen its military presence in the east. The operation, named "Eastern Sentry," involves deploying fighter jets and warships in the region to deter further violations.
"I welcome the start of NATO's operation Eastern Sentry to strengthen air defense on the eastern flank. An important step after the Russian drone intrusion in Poland this week. Just like Baltic Sentry in the Baltic Sea, which protects underwater infrastructure, this is another step to strengthen security in the region," wrote Latvia's president in a statement on September 12.
Maria Martisiute, an analyst at the European Policy Center, assesses that recent incidents have made the situation "very dangerous."
"We must take these violations very seriously. NATO and the EU must act more decisively than ever before," she tells TV3.