Contents tagged with Baltic States

  • NATO fighters scrambled four times to intercept Russian aircraft over the Baltic last week

    NATO fighters, which protect the airspace of the Baltic countries, flew four times to intercept Russian aircraft last week, the Polish Radio reported.

    “NATO jets twice (on March 11 and 12) flew to identify the Russian Su-35 and Su-27 fighters, which accompanied Russian passenger planes Tu-134. On March 13 and 14, the fighters scrambled to intercept the Russian An-26 transport jets and one Il-18,” the statement read.

    The airspace of Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia is now being protected by …

  • China to invest in construction of tunnel under the Baltic Sea

    Helsingin Snomat newspaper reported that Chinese fund Touchstone Capital Partners decided to invest in a large-scale Finnish project, the construction of a railway tunnel under the Baltic Sea.

    According to the report, China is ready to allocate 15 billion euros in stages as necessary but not in a single payment. Touchstone will invest in construction through the Chinese logistics project “One Belt, One Road” that involves the development of transport infrastructure in Eurasia.

    The undersea …

  • Poland accuses European Commission of acting in Russia’s interests

    The Minister of Maritime Economy and Inland Navigation of Poland, Marek Grubarchik, expressed his opinion that protests against the construction of the canal through the Vistula (Baltic) Spit, which should connect the Baltic Sea to the Vistula Lagoon started because of Russia, reports Polish Radio. 

    According to the radio station, the European Commission initiated a meeting with Poland’s representatives, after it announced the start of the shipping canal construction work. The European Union …

  • Estonia demands compensation from Russia for occupation by the USSR

    Estonia has reminded Russia of the times of Soviet occupation once again and pointed to the violation of the Tartu peace treaty from 1920. Estonian Minister of Justice Urmas Reinsalu claimed that the USSR violated the treaty on Estonia’s independence and that Russia must be held accountable for it. 

    According to him, Russia is the successor of the USSR and should pay damages to Estonia in accordance with international law. 

    “The Soviet Union occupied Estonia, violating the Treaty of Tartu, …

  • Baltic states and Poland push for 'Azov sanctions package' against Russia

    The Baltic states and Poland are advocating that new sanctions be imposed on Russia in connection with its capturing of Ukrainian sailors near the Kerch Strait, said Estonian Foreign Minister Sven Mikser, as reported by Interfax-Ukraine.

    “Estonia’s position is that the countermeasures, the sanctions on Russia in connection with the situation in the east of the country and the illegal annexation of Crimea, must be maintained until the inflicted damage has been compensated, until Russia returns …

  • US Navy destroyer armed with Tomahawk cruise missiles enters the Baltic Sea

    On Thursday, USS Gravely (DDG-107), a guided missile destroyer of the US Navy passed the Danish Straits and is now in the Baltic Sea, reported Interfax, citing the monitoring data of marine resources.

    This ship can carry up to fifty-six Tomahawk cruise missiles with a range of 1,600 kilometers. It is equipped with the Aegis missile defense system. The Gravely is the current flagship of the First Permanent Naval Group of NATO.

  • UK to strengthen its military presence in Estonia

    In 2019, Great Britain will strengthen its military presence in the Baltic States. 20 tanks will be deployed to Estonia, and the Royal Navy will conduct exercises in the Baltic Sea, reports ERR news agency, citing Gary Brooks, the British military attaché in Estonia.

    The UK will hold a rotation of British troops in Estonia in 2019. 10 tanks will be sent to Great Britain, and they will be replaced by 20 armored vehicles. From April to August, British fighter jets Eurofighter Typhoon will be …

  • Baltic states agreed to increase their defense budgets

    Latvia, Lithuania and Estonia intend to increase their defense budgets to more than 2 percent of the Gross Domestic Product. The Defense Ministers of the three countries agreed to this in their joint communique after the meeting in Vilnius on Saturday, November 24. DW reports that the document envisions cooperation in strategic communication between the Baltic States and Poland, and increasing the cyber security of Latvia, Lithuania and Estonia. 

    During the two-day meeting that took place in …

  • Lithuanian Foreign Minister: Russian missiles are dangerous for Europe

    Russia has been violating the Treaty on the Elimination of Intermediate-Range and Shorter-Range Missiles (INF) for several years, the Foreign Minister of Lithuania Linas Linkevičius said in an interview with DW on Wednesday, November 14. Although US President Donald Trump announced that he was planning to quit the treaty, it is just an intention and not yet a decision. According to the Lithuanian politician, it is Donald Trump's tactic to exert pressure on Russia.

    Linas Linkevičius said that …

  • NATO begins large-scale military exercises in Poland

    Anakonda-2018 military exercises start in Poland on Wednesday, November 7. These are the largest maneuvers for the Polish armed forces in 2018.

    The stated objective of the exercises is the integration of national and allied structures and troops to conduct strategic defensive operations against conventional and hybrid threats. Their main focus is cooperation between military authorities and civil authorities and separate elements of the command structures of NATO.

    Servicemen from ten NATO …