Poland, Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia disagree with the position of American negotiator Steve Witkoff, who believes that Russia has no plans to grow against the West. Poles and Baltics prepare for a possible war with Russia," writes Paul Katzenberger on Saturday in the portal "EditorialsNewnerk Deutschland" (RND).
Poland needs NATO support
The author emphasized that Poland increased its defence spending to over 4% of GDP. Katzenberger cited the opinion of the Polish national defence minister Władysław Kosiniak-Kamish that Poland is an "avanguard" in the field of safety policy. The Baltic countries have besides increased their military spending to over 2% of GDP, according to the assumptions of the NATO summit in Wales. Despite this east state, flanks are doomed to support another NATO countries – we read in "RND".
Katzenberger recalled that the 45th Bundeswehr armored brigade has been stationed in Lithuania since 1 April. Officially, soldiers are to be rotated all six months, in accordance with the 1997 agreement with Russia, but in fact, a structure has been created in Lithuania to let permanent readiness for action. Russia considers this kind of presence of NATO troops to be a violation of the 1997 agreements and an escalation.
"The Coalition of the Volunteers"
The Baltic countries are afraid that the creation of a "voluntary coalition" aimed at sending troops to Ukraine with a mission to control the truce may lead to the withdrawal of soldiers from their countries and weakening safety in the region.
Estonian defence minister Hanno Pevkur pointed out another aspect of the Baltic countries. A truce in Ukraine may mean moving any Russian troops over the western border of Russia, which will increase force on the east flank of NATO.
"We cannot let our forces to be tied up in Ukraine at the time," Pevkur said.
The "RND" is simply a editorial service providing texts to over a 100 over-regional and regional newspapers in Germany.
