Washington allocated assistance to the Baltic countries in the amount of $ 175 million from the US military budget in 2020, which will go to the defense needs of Latvia, Lithuania and Estonia. This is stated in the official statement of the Minister of Defense of Estonia, Juri Luik, posted on the website of the department.
At the same time, the document notes that for the first time in the history of relations between the Baltic countries and Washington, the American side from this amount will allocate a separate budget line in the amount of $ 50 million, which will go to "support the development of the Baltic air defense."
“Our ally clearly confirms his commitment to collective defense on the eastern flank of Europe,” said Estonian Defense Minister Juri Luik.
In his opinion, the strengthening of deterrence and defense presence in the Baltic states, especially in the air force sphere, is of high importance for the whole of NATO and the United States.
“The transition from airspace protection to air defense involves a decision by all allies, but the position and practical support of the United States is of great weight. We very much appreciate the support of the United States in developing the defense of our region, ”the head of the Estonian defense department emphasized.
In addition, the statement notes that in the Baltic countries a transition will be made from airspace protection to full-fledged air defense, which requires a warning system, surveillance, air defense weapons systems and relevant personnel.
Recall, December 21, Donald Trump signed the US defense budget for 2020. Its volume is $ 738 billion, which, according to Trump himself, is an absolute record for defense spending in the history of the United States.
However, the funds allocated to the Baltic republics within the framework of the US defense budget will still remain under US control, said Vladimir Bruter, an expert at the International Institute for Humanitarian and Political Studies.
“Partly this money can go to purchase weapons from the Pentagon. Most likely, auxiliary equipment will be purchased for the allocated amount, since it is impossible to purchase air defense systems in the quantity necessary for protection for such an amount, ”the expert explained in an interview with RT.
Professor of the Higher School of Economics Dmitry Evstafiev agrees with this assessment of the appointment of military assistance.
“$ 50 million is a rather small amount that will not help strengthen air defense. These funds will be enough to keep the warehouses, deployment sites, and access roads ready for battle. In turn, for $ 125 million you can buy something from American military equipment, but for the purchase of serious weapons this amount is insignificant, ”the political scientist noted.
The sky over the Baltic
The Baltic countries at the beginning of December already announced their intention to reconsider their attitude to the air defense system. So, in the final statement of the Baltic Assembly, it was stated about the need to "respond to gaps" in the air defense of these states. The assembly, which is a deliberative body for cooperation between the parliaments of Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania, substantiated its position by the actions of Russia, which supposedly “increases its military presence” and “places additional funds” at the borders of their states.
- Latvian military conducts tests of MANPADS RBS-70
- © @LV_NATO
“We emphasize the need to respond to gaps in the air defense system in the Baltic states at the level of individual states, the region and NATO, as well as to increase the alliance’s ability to deploy reinforcements, including the full implementation of the NATO Readiness Initiative,” the statement posted on the assembly’s website says.
In addition to strengthening the air defense forces, in their statement, the members of the Baltic Assembly expressed their readiness to act more actively as part of NATO on land, in airspace and at sea.
“The Baltic states will strive to adapt and strengthen NATO’s position of defense and deterrence in our region, focusing on long-term planning, the NATO Enhanced Forward Presence program, exercises, and Baltic Air Patrol,” the document says.
During 2019, senior officials of the Baltic states repeatedly made statements about the need to expand military cooperation with the United States, as well as to strengthen the presence of NATO troops to deter Russia.
Back in March 2019, the Minister of Defense of Latvia, Artis Pabriks, called for increasing the republic’s defense spending in excess of 2% of GDP requested by NATO. In October, Estonian Foreign Minister Urmas Reinsalu called for an expansion of military cooperation between the Baltic Republic and the United States. At the same time, the head of the Lithuanian Ministry of Defense, Raimundas Karoblis, spoke about the need to strengthen NATO's presence in the Baltic countries.
In turn, Estonian Prime Minister Juri Ratas before the NATO anniversary summit on December 3 said that the expanded presence of NATO troops in the Baltic states enhances the security of the region.
Tension escalation
Moscow has repeatedly stated that the buildup of the military presence of NATO and US troops in the republics does not support the security of the Baltic states, but leads to increased tension in the region. On December 17, this position was confirmed by Russian Ambassador to Estonia Alexander Petrov.
- American Tank Battalion in Lithuania
- AFP
- © Petras Malukas
“We are talking with concern about the situation in the Baltic states, because we are seeing an increase in the presence of NATO, which, in our opinion, is completely not justified by any need, but only contributes to escalating tensions in this already difficult region,” the ambassador said a press conference in Tallinn dedicated to the results of the year.
In turn, the head of the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Russia, Valery Gerasimov, said on December 18 that increased military activity and the frequent exercises of NATO forces in the Baltic and the Black and Baltic Seas speak of the purposeful preparation of the alliance for a large-scale military conflict.
“In the Baltic countries and Poland, in the waters of the Black and Baltic Seas, military activity is intensifying, the intensity of military exercises of the bloc is increasing. Their scripts point to NATO’s targeted preparation for the deployment of its troops in a large-scale military conflict, "the Krasnaya Zvezda newspaper quotes Gerasimov.
The Russian military leader recalled that since 2016, the Alliance’s states have increased defense spending by $ 130 billion and plan to increase military spending by another $ 400 billion by 2024.
At the same time, as noted in the General Staff, the West at the same time continues to represent Russia as a "threat to peace."
“Any step of Russia in the field of ensuring its military security, any planned and transparent event to build an army and navy, every exercise by Western propagandists and fake media is clearly presented as a“ threat to peace, ”Gerasimov emphasized.
He also expressed concern that such a position would increase tension on the line of contact between Russia and NATO, and called for renewed cooperation in order to avoid dangerous incidents in the military sphere.
In a commentary RT, the head of the Department of Political Science and Sociology Plekhanova Andrei Koshkin noted that the Baltic countries are becoming the main US allies in Europe. However, the allocation of funds to these countries will mean that they will return to the US economy through defense contracts.
“If Washington allocated funds for armaments, then Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania will definitely have to purchase weapons from the United States. Donald Trump always focuses on the fact that the US military-industrial complex is able to provide all the armed forces of the states included in the NATO bloc with appropriate weapons, military equipment and ammunition, ”the expert explained.
At the same time, insignificant amounts of $ 175 million and $ 50 million will not help strengthen the air defense of the Baltic countries, but they will even tie them to the United States, the political scientist added.
“The United States is very attentive to its eastern flank of NATO, because the Baltic countries and Poland actively support pro-American policies, while France and Germany are no longer subordinate to the overseas“ master ”. In addition, Washington knows how poorly they live in the Baltic states, and accordingly, they value such handouts very highly. The states need these countries in order to get closer to the borders of the Russian Federation, ”concluded Andrey Koshkin.