NATO must be ready for Russia turning even more hostile in the decade to come, Estonian President Alar Karis warned, ERR reports. Speaking after a meeting with Lithuanian President Gitanas Nauseda in Vilnius, Karis said that Russia would remain NATO’s most serious military threat for a very long time. He called on NATO allies to…
Latvian President Edgars Rinkevics called for increased EU defence spending, exempting it from fiscal rules, Kathimerini reports. He emphasised the need for the EU to be more self-reliant in defence and for more coordination in defence matters. During his visit to Athens, Rinkevics discussed with Greek officials boosting economic ties, securing more funding for external…
The Estonian government will tighten controls on the transit of goods subject to EU sanctions, Ukrainska Pravda reports. Prime Minister Kaja Kallas said that attempts to evade sanctions continued to occur on the border with Russia. She noted that the EU’s latest sanctions package exacerbated the threats. The government will therefore replace the present risk-based…
Estonia has sent Mistral anti-aircraft missile systems to Ukraine, Fakti reports. The French-made short-range missiles can be used against low-flying aircraft and helicopters. The missiles can be fired by individual servicemen or mounted on vehicles, ships, or helicopters. In June 2024, Estonia signed a joint contract with France, Cyprus, and Hungary to replenish its stocks…
The heads of the public broadcasters in the Baltic States and Ukraine signed a memorandum of cooperation during the General Assembly of the European Broadcasting Union (EBU) in Cyprus, LSM reports. The memorandum aims to establish mutual support mechanisms to ensure business continuity in an emergency, such as a war. The agreement provides for the…
The Estonian Transport Administration (Transpordiamet) has mapped around 75% of the country’s seabed so far, ERR reports. The work to survey Estonia’s entire maritime area has been going on for many years and may still take more than 15 years to complete. The seabed survey has not yet reached the area west of Saaremaa and…
The Baltic States will receive a total of USD 228mn in security assistance from the US under the Baltic Security Initiative (BSI) in 2024, ERR reports. The three countries received USD 225mn of assistance under the initiative in 2023, USD 180mn in 2022, and USD 169mn in 2021. The exact amount distributed to each of…
China’s Special Representative on European Affairs, Wu Hongbo, has paid a visit to Latvia, LETA reports. Wu met with Dace Melbarde, parliamentary secretary of Latvia’s Foreign Ministry, and Katarina Platere, head of the ministry’s bilateral relations directorate. The officials discussed bilateral dialogue, cooperation in specific sectors and international organisations, and regional security. The Foreign Ministry…
The Lithuanian Armed Forces (LGP) will send members of its Redeployable Communications and Information Systems Module to take part in a NATO training mission in Iraq, BNS reports. During the four-month mission, the specialists will provide communications support to ensure uninterrupted command and control in the area of operations. The operation’s aim is to train…