(Tallinn) Estonia assured on Wednesday that it was “ready” to close its border with Russia following a similar measure taken by Finland, with Tallinn citing a potential threat from its Russian neighbor.
Estonian Foreign Minister Margus Tsahkna said the situation at the Finnish border, which has seen a surge in the number of undocumented migrants in recent weeks, was “a blatant hybrid attack by Russia.”
Tsahkna added that the Baltic state was “ready to close its border with Russia and defend itself against any hybrid attacks.”
Estonia, a former Soviet republic, is now a staunch defender of Ukraine, following the Russian invasion.
“This is further proof that Russia is not only fighting in Ukraine, but is posing a threat to other countries with its hybrid attacks,” Tsahkna said.
The Estonian government statement added that ministers said at a ministerial meeting in Brussels that they were ready to help Helsinki if necessary.
On Tuesday, Finland announced the closure of its last crossing point with Russia, with which it shares a 1,340 kilometer border.
The Finnish and Estonian borders with Russia are the external borders of the EU and NATO.