Regional security of the Baltic states: challenges and solutions

LTReikšminiai žodžiai: Baltijos valstybės; Greito reagavimo grupės; Grėsmės; Iššūkiai; NATO; Regioninis saugumas; Sąjungininkai; Allies; Baltic states; Challenges; Mobile combat groups; NATO; Regional Security; Threats.

ENFor the last four years – since the Kremlin exercised the illegal annexation of Crimea in 2014 – the public debate on national security unchangingly is keeping its momentum in the Baltic states. The topic of these discussions could be divided into two major themes: 1) raising security in the regional and NATO dimensions; 2) strengthening the Baltic own defence capabilities. There have been lots of achievements in both areas since 2014. While the debate on hybrid threats was prevalent after Crimean annexation, a few years later, the attention was focused on a broader range of issues, including NATO’s mobility and readiness to provide an appropriate counterstrike in the event of a conventional war involving not only mobile combat groups but vast armed forces. The NATO Warsaw Summit decided to deploy four multinational battalion-size battle groups on a rotational basis into Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, and Poland. Those forces are led by the UK, Canada, Germany and the United States, respectively. The aim is to deter Russia and to demonstrate to the potential aggressor the readiness to trigger the 40,000-strong rapid-reaction force and a full-scale NATO counter-assault.1 Also, the Baltic governments are not sitting idly; since 2018, Latvia and Lithuania followed Estonia with allocating 2% of GDP in their defence spendings. The mechanisation of all three armies continues, as well as frequent military exercises aimed at training both Baltic soldiers and improving cooperation among the forces of Lithuania, Estonia, Latvia, and the Allies. One of the specific challenges to which the answers have been sought is the Suwalki Corridor connecting Lithuania and Poland and an essentially important landfill for the arrival of NATO troops in the Baltic states by land. However, we should recall that there are also air and waterways that will be used if necessary. [Extract, p. 18]