Poland and the Baltic countries have asked the European Union to build a 700-kilometer wall along their borders with Russia and Belarus, and a map shows that such a structure would cover.
Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia have joined forces with Warsaw to call on the bloc to build a line of defence for NATO members against the Russian threat, in the face of security considerations fuelled by Moscow’s invasion of Ukraine.
The wall along the EU’s external border with Russia and Belarus “will address the EU’s urgent and urgent need for the military and hybrid threats,” according to a letter to the two countries’ bloc, according to Reuters.
NATO members in the region have accused Russia of wearing down hybrid attacks, which are accompanied by covert operations such as disinformation and cyberattacks.
Finland, which joined the alliance last year, said Moscow had pushed migrants toward its borders, prompting Helsinki to close some of its border crossings with its larger neighbor. Russia has been accused of jamming GPS in the Baltic region, prompting EU leaders to warn of the risks of air traffic control.
Reuters published a map showing in red the conceivable axes of a Russian invasion along the border with Estonia, north of Lake Peipus, which the two countries share.
The graphic also shows a red line emerging toward Lithuania from Minsk, the capital of Belarus, whose leader Alexander Lukashenko is Vladimir Putin’s closest ally.
Poland, Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia on Wednesday, June 26, called on the European Union to build a 700-kilometer defense line along its border with Russia and Belarus to protect the EU from military threats and other destructive movements across from Moscow – ReutersCountries said… pic . twitter. com/g0mRCTcdiU
Western leaders, including US President Joe Biden, have warned that with Eastern Europe already destabilized by its invasion of Ukraine, Vladimir Putin could simply attack other countries, a suggestion the Russian president has rejected.
The Reuters map suggests that forces entering southern Lithuania could encounter Russian troops coming from the other side, the Kaliningrad enclave, whose location would make it a front line in any confrontation between Moscow and NATO.
The letter also outlines how the scale and cost of such a wall would require “specific action by the EU, either politically and financially,” Reuters said, noting that European diplomats estimate the cost of such a structure at 2. 5 billion euros ($2. 67 billion). ).
This follows a request by Greece and Poland to the EU to establish a European-wide air defence system, all the way to Israel’s Iron Dome. Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk said last month that he had sent a letter to the European Commission about the proposal, which garnered a “very positive reaction. “
The proposal turned out to have won the support of European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, who said in X: “We want less fragmentation and not unusual projects. Like an air defense shield. “
Newsweek has reached out to the Russian Foreign Ministry and the European Union for comment.
Brendan Cole is a senior reporter for Newsweek in London, UK. It focuses on Russia and Ukraine, specifically on the war unleashed through Moscow. It also covers other areas of geopolitics, adding China.
Brendan joined Newsweek in 2018 from the International Business Times and, in addition to English, studies Russian and French.
You can contact Brendan by emailing b. cole@newsweek. com or by following him on his X @brendanmarkcole account.
© 2024 NEWSWEEK DIGITAL LLC