Baltic States and Poland seek EU funding for Baltic Defense Line
Heads of the Defense Ministries of Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, and Poland (photo: kaitseministeerium.ee)
On Friday, September 28, the defense ministers of Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, and Poland met in the Latvian capital of Daugavpils. They discussed possible funding for the Baltic Defense Line from the EU budget, as reported on the website of the Estonian Ministry of Defense.
Hanno Pevkur, head of the Estonian Defense Ministry, noted that the Baltic Defense Line initiative has gotten off to a good start, as this need is shared by allies in the Baltic Sea region.
“For us, it is extremely important to coordinate our activities with Poland, but we also see potential for cooperation with northern allies, especially Finland,” Pevkur emphasized.
He explained that the need for the defense line stems from the security situation and supports NATO's new concept of forward defense. At the same time, it strengthens the EU's security and military defense of its borders.
“Which is why, we clearly see that the European Union could also financially support the project,” the Estonian defense minister added.
According to the ministry's website, earlier this year, defense ministers signed an agreement under which Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania will create a defense line along their borders with Russia and Belarus in the coming years. The line will consist of various defense structures to deter and, if necessary, protect against military threats.
On May 18, Poland announced a similar project called the Eastern Shield. In parallel, the EU is considering joint defense initiatives aimed at strengthening the security of its member states.
“During the meeting, the defence ministers also received an overview of Ukraine’s experience in building defensive structures and visited Latvia’s defense installations in the Silene region,” the defense ministry's website added.
What is known about the Baltic Defense Line
The creation of the Baltic Defense Line in Estonia is planned in three stages. In the first two stages, 40 strongholds and 12 storage areas with full infrastructure will be built. In the third phase, eight additional strongholds will be built.
The concept of these defenses follows the agreement reached at the NATO summit in Madrid, which emphasizes that allies must be protected from the first meter in accordance with new regional defense plans.
The Baltic Defense Line is essentially a set of barrier and field defense measures designed to support the actions of defense units in strongholds to stop the advance of aggressor forces if necessary. These elements will be dispersed over the landscape, taking into account enemy movements and environmental analysis as well as the battle plans of the defense forces.
Currently, the Estonian Defense Investment Center has concluded contracts for the purchase of barrier materials such as cutting wire and dragon's teeth, and the process of developing prototype bunkers is underway.
