Via Baltica Highway Could Save NATO from Russian Aggression

If Russian tanks were to invade Poland and Lithuania, the modernized Via Baltica route would play a crucial role in protecting NATO states – the Telegraph newspaper assessed on Monday. The E67 route, spanning over 1,600 km, runs from Warsaw to Tallinn.

As the British newspaper noted, if Russia were to invade Poland, Lithuania, Latvia, or Estonia, Via Baltica would be “the only land corridor for reinforcements (military) that could prevent a catastrophe.”

The editorial states that “if Putin’s tanks ever appear, they will likely strike the approximately 80-kilometer strip of Polish and Lithuanian territory separating Belarus from Kaliningrad,” meaning the Suwałki Gap. This would sever NATO’s land connection with its three Baltic allies.

If Lithuania, Latvia, and Estonia were isolated, there would be a risk that they could share the fate of large areas of Ukraine. At least that’s the scenario Putin might envision – the Telegraph speculates.

The British newspaper noted that “enormous efforts are currently being made to thwart a potential Russian aggression.” As it explained, Poland and the Baltic states are building, among other things, anti-tank ditches and anti-tank fortifications called dragon’s teeth. Additionally, all four countries are withdrawing from the Ottawa Convention, which according to the editorial, “will enable them to seed their most vulnerable borders with millions of land mines.”

The Telegraph writes that “each Baltic state is inherently vulnerable to attacks,” which is related to the lack of so-called strategic depth, meaning sufficient territory to absorb an assault and rebuild after each enemy attack. The situation changed with Sweden and Finland’s decision to join NATO in 2023.

The Baltic Sea is now a NATO (internal) lake, and both shores of the Gulf of Finland and the approaches to St. Petersburg are within the Alliance’s boundaries – we read in the article.

Funds allocated for defense are also meant to testify to preparations for border defense. As noted, “this year Poland will allocate 4.5% of GDP to defense, Lithuania – 4%, Latvia – 3.7%, and Estonia – 3.4%, with all these countries significantly ahead of the United States at 3.2% or the United Kingdom at 2.4%.”

Source: PortalMorski.pl