Samuel Stolton – Politico Jan 13, 2021
Estonia’s president has called for an increase in NATO troop numbers in the country, amid heightened Russian aggression on Europe’s eastern flank.
Speaking to POLITICO following talks with NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg on Thursday, President Alar Karis said that Vladimir Putin’s deployment of Russian troops on the Ukrainian border is a cause for concern and that NATO should waste no time in upping its defenses.
“We want more NATO troops in Estonia,” Karis said, adding that he welcomed a recent decision by Denmark to increase its military presence in Lithuania, with fighters being deployed this month under the NATO banner.
“We need a strong presence to make sure we are not going to be attacked,” he said, “only for defense purposes.”
When pressed on the likelihood of Moscow invading Estonia, Karis struck a cautious tone.
“You never know. If you look back at history there are surprises,” he said. “Every time a situation like this emerges — like now in Ukraine — questions like this come up.”
The Estonian president also confirmed that a high-level trip to Ukraine has been penciled in for March, but that he currently has no plans to sit down with Putin. His predecessor Kersti Kaljulaid was criticized by Baltic partners for holding talks with the Russian leader in Moscow.
“The state of relations [with Russia] at the moment is frozen,” Karis said. “It’s not just Estonia but the whole of Europe. The first step is through NATO, to start some sort of a discussion.”
Following Russia’s annexation of Crimea in 2014, NATO personnel were deployed to Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia, as well as Poland, with each country hosting around 1,000 troops.
Moscow has demanded that NATO reduce its presence across Europe’s eastern borders and wants guarantees that Ukraine and Georgia will never join the alliance.
Stoltenberg said Wednesday that should Putin embark on an invasion of Ukraine, then NATO won’t hesitate to bolster its defenses.
“If Russia once again uses force against Ukraine and further invades Ukraine, then we have to seriously look into the need to further increase our presence in the eastern part of the alliance,” Stoltenberg said.
NATO defense ministers are set to review tensions with Russia in a meeting planned for mid-February.
Why the hell R there nato troops there in the 1st place? are there foreign troops of any kind in Canada or Mexico..are there Russian or Chinese warships in Lake Michigan? Why R we in the Black Sea? I hope Russia takes back all of Ukraine ( or what they can w/minimal casualties ). & I hope China takes back Taiwan. Why? I’m tired of the idea that the rest of the world is SUPPOSED to follow the orders of this illegitimate, hypocritical, destructive, increasingly anti-white & anti-Christian US/UK/Zio Cabal..
Keep in mind that Russia doesn’t want to invade the Baltic states, Poland or anywhere in the EU.
The Russians have clearly stated that any invasion of Russia or Belarus will be met with tactical nukes in the first instance. So these troops are as good as dead if NATO attacks or makes a mistake.
The UK is supplying Ukraine with weapons and military training, but the SAS will be in Ukraine as combat forces, & they will be prime targets. The Germans have blocked UK military flights from entering German airspace. Clearly the Germans see the illegality of arming Ukraine when these arms will make no difference in any war and will result in more death and destruction. Remember, its your tax/debt £££ which are being spent and sent to Ukraine.
If US-backed troops along those several thousand miles of Russia’s border do advance on Russia, then I would think that Russia has no option but to launch a devastating counter-attack. I doubt it will be like WWII with divisions, battalions and units against each other. Sending troops against such forces may be a losing strategy, where only massive waves of missiles and artillery fire look like improving the odds. If so then it’s a war that will not merely start then escalate but will begin as though escalated.
I think Russia is probably moving men and materiél inside its borders to confuse US satellites about their numbers and positions. But the US is twisting that to complain Russia is building up troops (inside its own borders) as though the US gets to decide what another nation does on its own soil in its own defence against US hegemony. Like many around the world I hope the US gets well and truly beaten. Don’t let Europe be the sole theatre of war. Attack the US mainland and do to them as they do to others.
Hoo boy, those 1000 troops could take Moscow in two days!
IDIOTS !
LOOK BETTER FOR GOOD
NEIGHBOURHOOD WITH
A GIGANT !
Funny how the ‘leaders’ (Putin, Zelensky, Biden, Johnson etc.) of these supposed ‘clashing’ nations all wear yarmulkes.
@Nico X – good point. Funny how the Pope also wears a yarmulke. All the worlds a stage.
@Derek Felton…Excellent