Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, and Poland have asked the EU to help them pay for new fortifications along their borders with Russia and its ally, Belarus.
The defence ministers of the four countries met on Friday in the city of Daugavpils in Latvia to discuss the financing of the so-called Baltic Defence Line.
“The need for a defence line stems from the security situation and supports Nato’s new forward defence concept,” said Estonian defence minister Hanno Pevkur.
“At the same time, it strengthens the security of the European Union and the military defence of its borders, which is why we clearly see that the European Union could also financially support the project.”
The three Baltic states agreed in January to develop a mutual defence line.
Support from Poland could strengthen their case.
Hanno Pevkur also mooted cooperation with Finland.
“Russia’s war against Ukraine has shown that creating physical obstacles on an open ground with no natural defensive cover is paramount even in technologically advanced warfare,” said a joint statement from the four ministers.
“As the threats at our frontier are increasingly growing, ramping up fortifications along the border with Russia and Belarus remains a high-priority contributing to our pledge to defend every inch of Allied territory.”
Bunkers and dragon’s teeth
Poland borders Belarus and Ukraine to the east, and Russia’s Baltic enclave Kaliningrad to the north. In May, Prime Minister Donald Tusk said €2.3bn would be spent on its so-called East Shield border fortifications.
Moving north, Lithuania borders Kaliningrad to the southwest and Belarus to the east. It has earmarked €150m for border security, having previously received €60m from the EU.
Latvia borders Russia and Belarus to its east. In March, its government approved €303m to be spent over five years. Work includes digging up dozens of roads at the border to prevent their use in an incursion, building anti-tank ditches, and installing pyramidal tank blockers, known as dragon’s teeth, and minefields.
North of Latvia, Estonia is spending €60m building 600 bunkers along its border with Russia.
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