Latvia will invest 300 million euros in strengthening the border with the Russian Federation and the Republic of Belarus
March 5, 2024
Latvia will invest 300 million euros in strengthening its border with Russia and Belarus over the next five years. The corresponding plan of the Ministry of Defense was approved by the country’s government, the dpa agency reported on Tuesday, March 5.
The plans call for the construction of several defensive installations on the country’s eastern border, including fortified positions for soldiers, anti-tank ditches, mines and other barriers, as well as ammunition depots, the Latvian State Chancellery said.
The department stressed that this plan is part of a joint initiative by Latvia, Lithuania and Estonia to build a single line of defense on the eastern flank of the EU and NATO to protect against potential aggressive actions by Russia or Belarus.
The Baltic countries prepare to defend themselves against the Russian Federation together with NATO allies
The defense ministers of Latvia, Lithuania and Estonia agreed at a meeting in Riga on January 19 to create a joint defensive line on the borders with the Russian Federation and the Republic of Belarus against the backdrop of the large-scale invasion from Ukraine to Russia. Each of the Baltic countries will finance its share of the fortifications independently, coordinating this work with the general defense policy of the NATO countries.
In particular, Estonia announced that next year it will begin building 600 concrete bunkers on the country’s eastern border. “The Russian war in Ukraine showed that, in addition to equipment, ammunition and manpower, defensive structures on the border are needed to protect Estonia,” said Estonian Defense Minister Hanno Pevkur.
In June 2023, German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius said that Germany was ready to permanently station a Bundeswehr brigade of around 4,000 people, with two tank battalions, in Lithuania. The infrastructure for this is expected to be created in the country by 2026.
Source: DW
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