According to Michal, the countries of our region best understand the nature of Russia and Belarus, and the need to constantly strengthen our response capabilities in the air, at sea, on land, as well as in cyberspace. “Estonia stands by Lithuania without hesitation when balloons are sent from Belarus to a member state of the European Union and NATO. This is a hybrid attack,” he emphasised, expressing support for both Lithuania’s strong steps against the Belarusian regime and the assistance that Lithuania is providing to democratic forces in Belarus. ‘We need to continue to work to ensure that the protection of the eastern flank is a clear priority for NATO and the European Union,’ Michal added.
According to the Estonian prime minister, Russia’s intensified attacks on Ukraine’s energy infrastructure and civilian population show that the aggressor has failed to achieve success on the battlefield. “We will continue to apply pressure and stand firm in our support for Ukraine – we will do everything we can to put Russia’s frozen assets to use and work on new sanctions. The dictator cannot wage his war without money,” said Michal. “Just recently, the Nordic and Baltic countries made a decision to support Ukraine with 500 million dollars’ worth of military equipment and ammunition through the NATO PURL initiative. This is solidarity not only in words, but also in actions.”
Speaking of the progress of Baltic cooperation, the prime minister highlighted the successful synchronisation of electricity systems with continental Europe earlier this year, which allowed us to cut the last important thread connecting us with the aggressor, as well as the launch of the train line between Tallinn, Riga, and Vilnius. “However, there is an even more ambitious goal to keep in mind. Rail Baltic must be completed by 2030 – it will benefit our economy, the environment, and defence readiness,” Michal stressed.
Currently, almost half of the main route is ready for construction in the three Baltic states, and work is underway on 105 kilometres of the Estonian section. “We need to keep up the pace. I believe that the proposal for the next European Union budget period will encourage this,” Michal stated.
Photo: https://flic.kr/s/aHBqjCANpR
