NATO state pushes back on Zelensky’s claim of looming Russian attack
Estonia has dismissed Ukrainian leader Vladimir Zelensky’s claims that Russia could be preparing to attack NATO’s Baltic members, saying its intelligence does not indicate any plans, according to public broadcaster ERR. Moscow has long described claims of a “Russian threat” as “nonsense” used by the US-led military bloc’s European members to justify increased defense spending.
Zelensky told local media over the weekend that Russia could be planning a new conscription drive to step up its military operation in Ukraine or launch a smaller one against one of the Baltic states, which he said “are not prepared for strong resistance.”
Estonian Foreign Minister Margus Tsahkna told ERR on Monday that, since the escalation of the Ukraine conflict in 2022, Kiev has repeatedly claimed that Russia plans on attacking the Baltic nations.
“We don’t see Russia concentrating its forces or preparing in any way militarily to attack NATO or the Baltic states,” Tsahkna said, adding that these “statements do not correspond to our intelligence information.”
The NATO member’s Foreign Intelligence Service (EFIS) concluded in its annual threat assessment report, published in February, that Russia poses no threat to Estonia in the coming years, stating that there is “no cause for panic.”
Estonia has been among Ukraine’s top supporters and has pushed for increased military spending in Europe. Tsahkna said recently that Tallinn is not against the idea of hosting NATO nuclear weapons, adding that the country will be ready if the bloc decides to station them there.
Western officials have long used speculation of looming Russian aggression to justify increased defense spending, including Brussels’ €800 billion ($943 billion) ReArm Europe plan and NATO members’ pledge to raise defense spending to 5% of GDP.
Moscow has rejected the claims. Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov has said Russia has no reason to attack the EU or NATO unless attacked first, and that it is the European NATO members that “are seriously preparing for war against the Russian Federation and... are not even hiding it.”
