Russian military threat worries Poland and Lithuania

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The dialogue between the United States and Russia on the subject of the crisis in Ukraine will continue, announced the head of American diplomacy, Friday, January 21. After his meeting in Geneva with his counterpart Sergei Lavrov, Antony Blinken again asked Moscow to withdraw its troops massed on the Ukrainian border. A Russian presence which worries Europe and in particular the neighboring countries of Ukraine such as Lithuania and Poland.

Lithuania concerned about Russian military presence on its borders

The discussions between Antony Blinken and Sergei Lavrov will be closely followed in Lithuania. The situation in Ukraine is becoming increasingly worrying for Lithuania, which has common borders with Russia and Belarus. The country fears that Russia will launch military operations in Ukraine during its discussions with the United States in order to influence the ongoing negotiations. Another source of concern is Russia’s military capabilities. The Russian enclave of Kaliningrad, west of Lithuania, is highly militarized. The equipment is more and more sophisticated and the Russians better and better trained to move quickly. This is what the Lithuanian Minister of Defense observes. And then, exercises are currently taking place in Belarus with Russia. From a military point of view, the two countries are one. The danger is therefore approaching Lithuania. Relations between Moscow and Vilnius have never been so bad.

For nearly five years, a NATO battalion (in which France participates) has been present in each of the Baltic States. Today, Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia are asking for more. More means means more deterrence and this is the key to more security. A battalion of about a thousand soldiers is currently stationed in Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia. The decision was taken in 2016 at the NATO summit in Warsaw. The Danes have already answered the call. They have, among other things, deployed a frigate of 160 soldiers in the Baltic Sea. But the Baltic countries themselves are taking matters into their own hands. Estonia has announced a spectacular increase in its defense budget over the next few years. The three countries have also decided to strengthen their armies together, in particular the air arsenal. Defense missile systems should be jointly acquired by 2026.

If the Baltic countries ask for help for them, they do not refuse it to Ukraine. And their contribution will be significant. The United States has just given its agreement for the three countries to offer American-made armaments to the Ukrainians. This could include anti-tank missiles. The Balts also provide other types of non-lethal military equipment, military instructors. Ukraine and Lithuania formed a single state in the 15th century. This collective memory is deeply rooted and encourages us to support Kiev at all costs. Lithuania, moreover, has initiated the opening of a European military mission in Ukraine, mainly for advice and training. The project will be discussed in March 2022.

Poland defends a very firm line against Moscow

The talks between the United States, Russia and Ukraine are also closely followed by Poland. Warsaw is very suspicious of its Russian neighbor and its demands made in Washington on the non-enlargement of NATO and the withdrawal of troops from the countries of the alliance in Eastern Europe.

Poland wants to show its support for Ukraine, as evidenced by this meeting, Thursday, January 20, between the Polish president and his Ukrainian counterpart. The two men have planned two days of consultations. “Ukraine deserves the full support of the Western world”, the Polish president’s office said on Thursday, saying Russian provocations posed a huge security threat to much of the continent.

This is a reminder of Polish concerns about the situation in Ukraine and Warsaw’s desire to take part in the search for a solution.

The country insists that the OSCE, to which Ukraine belongs and which Poland currently chairs, should also be one of the channels of discussion with Russia, to engage in diplomatic dialogue. This position was reiterated several times during telephone exchanges with the American Secretary of State, Antony Blinken. There have been several in recent weeks, a sign of concern and excitement in Warsaw. The latest is from a few days ago, a conversation during which the US Secretary of State reassured Poland about security on Polish soil and in Eastern Europe. Poland decided this week to raise the level of cybersecurity alert in the country, after the attacks on Ukraine.

Poland calls for decisive action and advocates a very firm line against Moscow. Again Thursday, the office of the Polish president stressed that the country would not accept the aggressive Russian policy and refused any concession in this area. A little earlier, the Prime Minister called on NATO not to give in to Russian threats and blackmail. A blackmail on the gas in particular.

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Poland is a staunch opponent of the Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline which is to link Russia to Germany, avoiding Ukraine. For Warsaw, this gas pipeline will lead to too much dependence on Moscow and risks to Ukraine’s security as well as a destabilization of NATO’s eastern flank. It’s like putting a gun in Vladimir Putin’s hands and pointing it at central and eastern Europe, the Polish government spokesman said. Poland has therefore been calling for a long time to put an end to the project, calls which it has renewed in this context of tensions with Ukraine.

And the list of grievances against Moscow is long since Warsaw has also accused Russia of being behind the influx of migrants to the border between Belarus and Poland with the intention of destabilizing Europe.


source site-25