At a conference in Estonia, the three Baltic states called on the EU to respond quickly and with clear measures to the Belarusian provocations.

The Estonian Defense Minister Kalle Laanet offered Poland to send troops and equipment.

According to political and military leaders in Estonia and Lithuania, the Belarusian government's actions are a so-called hybrid attack on NATO borders.

Migration is used as a weapon, according to Laanet.

The attack was "the greatest security risk for the region for 30 years".

In an interview with the FAZ, the Chief of Staff of the Estonian Army, Martin Herem, expressly did not rule out the possibility of a military escalation and the use of armed force.

Peter Carstens

Political correspondent in Berlin

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The British Army Minister warned against viewing the crisis as a NATO matter, “in principle, and first of all, it is the European Union's task to protect its borders.

The sooner the EU reacts, the better.

If it becomes military, there is a risk of escalation.

If it becomes a NATO matter, we will be entering very, very dangerous territory. ”The actions of Belarus and Russia are designed to destabilize.

That is what NATO “has to keep an eye on,” said James Heappey.

Strengthening of NATO capacities required

A representative of the Lithuanian government was skeptical about accepting people at the border with the EU. Deputy Defense Minister Margiris Abukevicius said they were “brought to Belarus as tourists and then turned into migrants there”. In addition to clear statements from the EU, the Estonian government also asked for concrete support for Poland. Estonia has already sent border police and drone teams.

The situation also called for an analysis and, if necessary, strengthening of NATO capacities and deterrence in the region.

The main concern of military commanders on the north-eastern flank of the alliance is the sluggishness of the coordination processes within the alliance.

As the chief of the Estonian armed forces, which comprises around 11,000 soldiers in an emergency, reported that the 1st brigade, set up according to the Swiss model with a mix of active soldiers and reservists, recently succeeded in an alarm exercise and was ready for action within 42 hours assigned positions.

A regular brigade of the German Army needed several months for such an operational readiness.