Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, and Poland will request EU funding to build bunkers, barriers, supply lines, and military depots along their borders with russia and Belarus. The defense ministers of the four countries reached this agreement during a meeting in Daugavpils, Latvia.
The defense ministers of the Baltic States and Poland emphasized that russia's war against Ukraine highlights the critical need for physical barriers in open terrain, even in a technologically advanced war.
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They noted the growing external threats along the Baltic-Polish border, stressing that reinforcing fortifications on the borders with russia and Belarus is a top priority, reaffirming their commitment to defend every inch of NATO territory.
"The need for a defense line stems from the security situation and supports NATO’s new forward defense concept," said Estonian Defense Minister Hanno Pevkur, adding that "it is extremely important to coordinate our activities with Poland".
"At the same time, it strengthens the security of the European Union and the military defense of its borders, which is why we clearly see that the European Union could also financially support the project," he said.
The establishment of the Baltic Defense Line in Estonia is planned in three stages. In the first two stages, 40 support points and 12 storage areas with full infrastructure will be constructed. In the third stage, eight additional support points will be built. The concept for these defensive structures follows the agreement made at the NATO Summit in Madrid, which emphasizes that allies must be defended from the first meter, in line with the new regional defense plans.
Read more: Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania to Build Baltic Defense Line on russian and belarusian Borders
