NATO strengthens Baltic defenses due to Russian threat - Reuters
The German-Dutch NATO battalion will serve as a tactical headquarters for Estonia and Latvia as part of the Alliance’s new defense plans.
According to Censor.NET, the German Ministry of Defense stated this.
New headquarters for the Baltic states
The German Ministry of Defense has announced that the new structure will begin operations around the middle of the year.
"The deployment of an additional tactical headquarters in the region strengthens NATO's cohesion and helps deter Russia," the ministry said.
The issue at hand is strengthening NATO's eastern flank in light of potential threats from Russia.
NATO is preparing for a rapid response
Reuters previously reported that the Alliance is establishing a new structure to ensure the rapid deployment of forces in Latvia and Estonia in the event of a war with Russia.
Currently, NATO forces in the three Baltic states and in northern Poland are under the command of a single multinational headquarters in Szczecin, Poland.
The U.S. State Department has previously stated that Russian military personnel who gained combat experience during the war against Ukraine could pose a threat to the Baltic states.
The Baltic States are studying Ukraine's experience
Against the backdrop of ongoing Russian attacks, the Baltic states have also begun turning to Ukraine to learn from its experience in building bomb shelters and protecting civilian infrastructure.
This was due to the Russian Federation's massive airstrikes on Ukraine, as well as incidents in which drones from the combat zone entered the airspace of EU countries.
