Contents tagged with Baltic States
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NATO Secretary General: Transfer of troops to the East is complete
The transfer of NATO troops to the eastern flank of the Baltic countries and Poland has been completed, as stated by NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg during his visit to Latvia.
“Today the relocation has been completed,” said Stoltenberg at a ceremony at a military base in Adazi, 20 kilometers from Riga. Thus, NATO fulfilled its promise made a year ago in Warsaw to “defend the union, react to aggression and keep peace,” the alliance’s secretary-general said.
Stoltenberg considers the …
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Baltic States agree to disconnect their power grids from Russia
Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania will connect their power grids to the European Union network through Poland, in order to reduce their dependence on Russia.
Deutsche Welle reports that Estonian Prime Minister of Jüri Ratas announced this on Monday.
"All four of us have agreed to clarify the distribution [responsibilities ] between the four countries [Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania and Poland] by the end of the year," said Ratas.
During the connection, it will also be necessary to take into account …
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Merkel: ability to demonstrate strength and readiness for dialogue are needed in relations with Russia
German Chancellor Angela Merkel announced that NATO must combine a demonstration of power with a readiness for dialogue in relations with Russia, Deutsche Welle reported.
The annexation of the Crimea and the conflict in eastern Ukraine have caused concern among the Baltic countries and Poland, and the situation in Moldova raises questions in Romania and Bulgaria, Merkel said in a weekly video message on Saturday, May 6.
According to the Federal Chancellor, it was important to these countries …
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The Speaker of the Latvian Parliament said the presence of US troops in the region is 'the decisive factor of security'
The permanent military presence of the United States troops in the Baltic countries is a critical factor in maintaining security in the region, as stated by the Speaker of the Latvian Saeima, Inara Murniece, during a meeting with the Speaker of the House of Representatives of the US Congress, Paul Ryan, in Washington, Delfi reported.
“We highly appreciate the strengthening of the presence of NATO forces in the Baltic region by sending combat groups. But for us the constant military presence …
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NATO fighter jets make record number of flights due to Russian Air Force
In 2016, NATO fighter jets were scrambled 780 times from military bases in Europe in order to visually identify and escort planes from the Russian Aerospace Forces (VKS). This is a record number of such incidents since the time of the Cold War, news outlet DPA reported, citing representatives of the Ramstein US Air Force Base in Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany.
About 90 other such flights were made on account of the military planes of other states, passenger liners or other transport aircraft, …
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Prime Ministers of Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia said they will never recognize the annexation of the Crimea
Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia promised to never recognize the legitimacy of the annexation of Crimea by the Russian Federation as was stated in a joint statement by the Prime Ministers of the Baltic countries and the head of the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine, Volodymyr Groysman following a meeting in Kyiv.
“We strongly condemn Russia's aggression against Ukraine and stress that the sanctions imposed on Russia must remain in place until the Minsk Agreements are fully implemented and Ukraine's …
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Lithuanian intelligence: Russia needs two days to begin military action in the Baltic
Russia continues to build up military forces and mobilization readiness on its borders with the Baltic countries.
This was stated in a joint report by the State Security Department and the Second Investigation Department under Ministry of National Defense in which threats to national security were assessed, as reported by Delfi, in referring to a press conference in the Seimas of Lithuania, where the report was presented.
“This is a signal that NATO and Lithuania should be ready to engage in …
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General Bradshaw: NATO needs to implement ‘hybrid deterrence’ against Russia
The Deputy Supreme Allied Commander in Europe, British General Adrian Bradshaw, called on the Alliance to intensify opposition to Russian cyber attacks, propaganda and political agitation.
According to the General, the West needs a common strategy to confront these threats. Bradshaw stated that the answer to such so-called "hybrid warfare" should be "hybrid deterrence." As an example of such deterrence, he specifically cited economic sanctions against Russia.
Additionally, according to …
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Russian Foreign Ministry accuses US military in Baltic States of anti-Russian activity
Maria Zakharova, the official spokesperson of the Russian Foreign Ministry, accused US troops stationed in the Baltic States of being actively involved in “provocative actions in Eastern Europe.”
“It cannot be ignored that US troops that have recently arrived in Poland and the Baltic States have engaged in ‘historical activities’ with clear anti-Russian intentions,” said Zakharova, who was quoted on the website of the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
Zakharova pointed out to “a memorial …
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Belarusian Defense Minister: Joint military exercises with Russia does not pose a threat to anyone
Western countries, especially the Baltic states, should not be afraid of the exercises which Belarus and Russia are planning to carry out this year, as stated by Andrei Ravkov, Defense Minister of Belarus.
According to him, the fears which have been expressed by a number of politicians and experts are “hysteria”, Belarus Segodnya news website reports.
“Zapad 2017” does not pose a threat to European countries, since “it has a defensive character, not directed against third countries, and it is …