NATO members Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, and Poland will seek funds from the European Union to build a network of bunkers, barriers, supply lines, and military warehouses along their borders with Russia and Belarus, Estonian officials said on Saturday.
The three Baltic states initially announced the “Baltic Defense Line” plan in January.
In May, Poland revealed a similar project called the “Eastern Shield,” aimed at strengthening its borders with Russia’s Kaliningrad enclave and Belarus.
“The need for a (Baltic) defense line stems from the security situation and supports NATO’s new defense concept,” said Estonian Defense Minister Hanno Pevkur in a statement, adding that “it is crucial to coordinate our activities with Poland.”
“At the same time, it strengthens the security of the European Union and the military defense of its borders, so we believe the EU could also financially support this project,” he said.
Defense ministers from the four European countries, located on NATO’s eastern flank, met on Friday in Daugavpils, southeastern Latvia, to discuss funding for the project.
They did not specify how much financial aid they would request from Brussels for the project but emphasized in a joint statement that “Russia’s war against Ukraine has shown that creating physical barriers on open terrain without natural protective shields is essential, even in advanced technological warfare.”
The ministers stated that external threats on the Baltic-Polish border are growing, making the construction of fortifications along the borders with Russia and Belarus “a top priority, contributing to our commitment to defend every inch of (NATO) territory.”
