The top military chief of one of the smallest countries in the European Union said his nation must double its defence spending over the next two years.
By doing so, the nation could not only defend itself against a feared Russian invasion, but even inflict a “decisive” defeat.
General Martin Herem, the commander of the Defence Forces in Estonia, issued the warning during an interview released in Japan, where he was attending a meeting with fellow defence officials.
General Herem added: “If you show your face over my border, the decisive victory must come very quickly: not by months and years, but days and weeks.
“If we really believe that it may come in three years, then we have to make decisions today.”
This comes as multiple NATO countries have, since the beginning of the year, raised alarm bells over the prospect Russia may attack another country within years.
Moldova, Poland and the Baltic states have been identified as the more likely victims of a new war in Europe at the hands of Vladimir Putin.
The Estonian general said the Russian president would not be deterred by the prospect of large casualties nor the risk of a nuclear conflict if he decided to attack one of the Baltic states – all of which are NATO members who could invoke Article 5, the collective defence principle of the Western military alliance.
Estonia, which only counts around 1.3 million residents, accessed to NATO in 2004.
In 2023, its defence budget was 2.7 percent of its GDP – well over the 2 percent target members of the military alliance are asked to meet.
The Baltic country’s foreign intelligence service was one of the agencies warning Russia may be eying a new target despite the war in Ukraine still raging.
The service said to believe Russia was preparing for a military confrontation with the West within the next decade, and was set to double the number of troops stationed along its border with NATO’s eastern flank.
Putin denied on March 27 that Russia has any intention to attack Poland, the Czech Republic or the Baltic states.
He said: “The idea that we will attack some other country – Poland, the Baltic States, and the Czechs are also being scared – is complete nonsense. It’s just drivel.”
However, he warned Russia will shoot down F-16 fighter jets if the West fulfils its promises and supply them to Ukraine.
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