Baltic states concerned over potential ceasefire in Ukraine, FT says
www.pravda.com.ua
Sun, 30 Mar 2025 13:00:07 +0300
Defence ministers from the Baltic states have warned that a ceasefire in Ukraine would significantly increase the security threat to their region.
Source Financial Times, as reported by European Pravda Details Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania are concerned that Moscow will not stop at Ukraine once a ceasefire agreement is signed by the Trump administration.
The Baltic states point out that the Kremlin has already outlined plans to ramp up military production and deploy additional troops along their borders.
We all understand that when the war in Ukraine will be stopped, Russia will redistribute its forces very quickly.
That means also the threat level will increase significantly very quickly, Estonian Defence Minister Hanno Pevkur told the FT.
His Lithuanian counterpart, Dovil akalien, made similar statements while in the United Kingdom earlier this week.
Lets not lie to ourselves that Russia is going to be done after Ukraine.
Russia will use this time following a ceasefire to speed up its military capabilities.
They already have a huge, battlefieldtrained army, which is going to get even bigger, she said.
A cessation of hostilities would give Russia the opportunity to create a 1.5millionstrong army and add an entirely new army corps in the north, doubling the number of troops near Finland and the Baltic states.
Pevkur noted that of the 600,000 Russian troops currently in Ukraine, 300,000 would likely be redeployed.
These men will not go back to different parts of Russia to harvest the corn or do something else because the salary they are getting in the army is like 5 to 10 times more than what they could get in their hometown, Pevkur said.
The Baltic States are particularly concerned about the largescale Zapad military exercises, which will take place this autumn near their borders in Russia and Belarus.
These exercises, held every four years, simulate a conflict with NATO countries and involve tens of thousands of troops, tanks, aircraft and artillery.
Pevkur and akalien also warned against the redeployment of NATO troops from their countries to form a socalled European reassurance force that would be sent to Ukraine as a means to deter Russia from further aggression.
NATOs eastern flank countries, including Poland and Romania, have stated they cannot assume commitments to deploy forces in Ukraine at the expense of their own security.
Estonia also opposed the United Kingdoms plans to redeploy British troops to Ukraine that were originally intended for the defence of the Baltic States.
Background Germanys Federal Intelligence Service BND and the countrys armed forces estimate that Russia views the West as a systemic enemy, is building up its military power and preparing for a largescale confrontation with NATO.
Recently, NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte promised a devastating response to Russian ruler Vladimir Putin for an attack on Poland or any other NATO member state.
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