The Baltic states (catch all)

[davidbfpo]

Well this is a surprise:

Estonian online daily, Postimees Online, has reported Germany will send rotating infantry troops to Estonia in 2016....Speaking to Postimees Online, the head of Germany’s defence committee, Hans-Peter Bartels, said: “Basically, a rotating company will be sent to three Eastern European countries for a few months, maybe for three months, to take part in exercises.”

Link:http://www.baltictimes.com/germany_w...aly5YU.twitter

Now if others followed this example that should alter Putin's calculus IMHO. IIRC of NATO's twenty-eight members only one has no military, Iceland. So twenty-seven companies divided by three Baltic states, nine companies on rotation would easily manage short tours.

[Bill Moore]

Maybe Germany is countering the so-called Intermarium proposal? See the link at omarali50's post.

NATO, EU, and U.S. need to do a better job of countering Russia propaganda regarding the Baltic states. They were independent, Estonia was fought over between Sweden and Russia (changed hands a couple of times). During WWI, the USSR signed an agreement with Germany that gave Estonia to Germany, then after Germany was defeated, Russia invaded, and the British fought a few naval battles until Russia recognized Estonia's independence. The USSR invaded again in 1940s and imposed a brutal regime (of course, it was Stalin). Then the Germans again, then the Soviets again. Neither were welcomed, in fact Estonians resisted Soviet rule well into the 1960s (resistance movement called the Forest Brothers). Bottom line is Russia's claims are illegitimate. Glad to see the new Germany stepping up.

[kaur]

I'd like to add to Bill's chronology this event. I think Russians did the same thing successfully 90 years later in Crimea. In Estonia they failed:http://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/1924_...%A9tat_attempt

[kaur]

Sunday, May 24, 2015
Narva is Not Next, Kasekamp Says

Paul Goble

Staunton, May 24 – Since Moscow’s annexation of Crimea and its continuing subversion of other parts of Ukraine, many have asked whether one or another of the Baltic countries might be Vladimir Putin’s next target, given that his strategic goal is clearly the breaking apart of Europe and the United States and discrediting or even destroying NATO.

http://windowoneurasia2.blogspot.be/...kamp-says.html

[davidbfpo]

A short report by Edward Lucas, usually a writer for The Economist, but published by a previously unheard of US think tank that focusses on teh Baltic States: http://t.co/5ylOnZf7wX

The Summary:

urope’s new front-line states are the Nordic five (Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway and Sweden), the Baltic three (Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania), plus Poland. These countries (the NBP9) share a common concern about a revisionist and rapidly rearming Russia. On paper they are rich enough to defend themselves: their combined gross domestic product (GDP) is $2.3 trillion, roughly a third more than Russia’s $1.7 trillion. But the NBP9 are divided—into NATO and non-NATO, EU and non-EU, big and small, rich and poor, heavy spenders on defense and free riders. These countries’ strategic incoherence, their resulting inability to defend themselves without outside help, and the threat this creates to NATO’s credibility in the region make the NBP9’s security an issue of global importance. Only the United States can spur the NBP9 to start the close security and defense cooperation needed to counter the Russian threat.
This report was presented by the author as a draft in May 2015, during the CEPA Strategic Assessment Group meeting at Helenow Palace, Poland. The Strategic Assessment Group is an ongoing effort at CEPA, which brings together prominent U.S. and Central European strategists and defense planners. The goal of the group is to assess the changing strategic enviornment for frontline NATO member states as a result of the war in Ukraine. The recommendations reflect the inputs from members of the Group.