The tone is categorical. “We Balts have never forgotten what the Russians are capable of. » Turquoise fleece and khaki coat, Neeme Brus explains why, at 66, after a career in journalism, then the army, where he was a major, he gave up retirement to take up a position as communications strategist with the League Estonian defense.
Since the start of the war in Ukraine, 4,000 volunteers have joined the organization, created in 1918, at the birth of the small Baltic state. Banned in 1940, it was resurrected in 1991, when Estonia, which today has 1.3 million inhabitants, regained its independence after more than five decades of Soviet occupation.
Among the 30,000 members of the League, all civilians, a third are part of the country’s territorial defense, whose sole reason for existence is to counter a possible offensive by Russia. On February 16, center-right Prime Minister Kaja Kallas said that Europe and NATO had “three to five years” to prepare for it. In Estonia, where her popularity is at half mast, due to the austerity policy pursued by her government and the scandal caused by her husband’s business in Russia, some found her comments exaggerated. All, however, agree on one point: the Baltic state, which shares a 294 km border with Russia, must be ready, even if for the moment the situation is calm.
“I have not seen such a military vacuum, on the other side of the border, for thirty years”, confirms, with a cheerful smile, General Veiko-Vello Palm, number two of the Estonian forces. Russian troops, which were stationed a few dozen kilometers from Estonia, were sent to Ukraine and “are dying there, which is very good for us”. However, this could quickly change, “if Russia reaches some form of resolution in Ukraine, which would allow it to release troops”notes the general. “It will take some time for him to rebuild his strength, but it could go faster than some imaginehe continues, recalling that for the Baltic States, Russia has never ceased to pose an existential threat. »
Even before the start of the war in Ukraine, Estonia, a NATO member since 2004, devoted 2% of its GDP to defense. In February 2023, deputies decided to increase it to at least 3% of GDP. It should reach 3.2% in 2024. Wearing a pin in the colors of Ukraine and Estonia on the lapel of his jacket, the Minister of Defense, Hanno Pevkur, sets three priorities: “ We must increase our capabilities in munitions, air defense and long-range weapons”, he declares.
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