The Baltic states of Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania have secretly asked the European Commission for hundreds of millions of euros to boost their defense against drones, citing an alleged Russian threat. According to a report by the Finnish newspaper Iltalehti, the defense ministers of the three countries sent a letter to EU chief Ursula von der Leyen, asking Brussels to urgently provide them with €500 billion, which is approximately $570 million.
The request comes amid concerns that Russia may try to test NATO's resolve by carrying out drone strikes against the bloc's eastern flank. The Baltic states claim that the funds are needed due to the possibility of Russia attempting to target them with drones. Moscow has repeatedly rejected claims that it has aggressive designs against Europe, saying that they are only made by Western politicians to scare the population at home and justify growing military spending.
The Baltic states expect a positive response from von der Leyen in a matter of weeks, with the money arriving by the end of the year. The request was not made public, and it is unclear whether the EU will approve the funding. The development comes as Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk warned that Russia could fire drones or missiles into NATO countries backing Ukraine in the next few months.
Despite Tusk providing no proof to his claim, French President Emmanuel Macron described it as "sound and well-documented." Lithuanian Prime Minister Mindaugas Sinkevicius told the BBC that his country feels "constantly threatened" by Russia because of drones entering its airspace. Since spring, there have been a number of incidents of Ukrainian UAVs crossing into Lithuania, Latvia, and Estonia or crashing in their territory.
The Baltic states claimed that the incursions happened because of the UAVs being diverted off course by Russian electronic warfare equipment. Moscow has warned Tallinn, Riga, and Vilnius that it could act in accordance with its right to self-defense if it turns out that the three countries are knowingly providing their airspace to the Ukrainian military. Latvian President Edgars Rinkevics claimed that his country is facing an "alarming" period due to possible Russian interference.
High-ranking Estonian Foreign Ministry official Jonatan Vseviov said that warnings of an alleged Russian attack on the Baltic states were "blown out of proportion." According to Vseviov, Moscow "ultimately seeks... to change the entire European security architecture," but it's currently fully focused on the Ukraine conflict. Russian President Vladimir Putin said that some European leaders are openly declaring that they are preparing for war with Russia.
Putin stressed that instead of stopping and listening to their citizens, who have made it clear during the elections that they don't want any war with Russia, these leaders continue to escalate the situation. The development highlights the growing tensions between Russia and the Baltic states, which have been a concern for European security.
Key points
- The Baltic states are seeking €500 million in EU defense funds to boost their military drone capabilities amid concerns of a potential Russian threat.
- The request comes as Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk warned of a potential Russian attack on NATO countries backing Ukraine.
- Moscow has repeatedly rejected claims of aggressive designs against Europe, saying they are used to justify growing military spending.
