{"id":2267497,"date":"2024-06-14T02:11:02","date_gmt":"2024-06-14T06:11:02","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/nato-must-bolster-front-lines-summit-comes-at-critical-time-for-allies-like-estonia\/"},"modified":"2024-06-14T02:18:51","modified_gmt":"2024-06-14T06:18:51","slug":"nato-must-bolster-front-lines-summit-comes-at-critical-time-for-allies-like-estonia","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/nato-must-bolster-front-lines-summit-comes-at-critical-time-for-allies-like-estonia\/","title":{"rendered":"NATO needs to strengthen front lines: Critical summit for allies like Estonia"},"content":{"rendered":"<aside class=\"mashsb-container mashsb-main mashsb-stretched\"><div class=\"mashsb-box\"><div class=\"mashsb-count mash-medium\" style=\"float:left\"><div class=\"counts mashsbcount\">24<\/div><span class=\"mashsb-sharetext\">SHARES<\/span><\/div><div class=\"mashsb-buttons\"><a class=\"mashicon-facebook mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservativenewsdaily.net%2Fbreaking-news%2Fnato-must-bolster-front-lines-summit-comes-at-critical-time-for-allies-like-estonia%2F\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Facebook<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-twitter mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/intent\/tweet?text=&amp;url=https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/?p=2267497&amp;via=ConservNewsDly\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Twitter<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-subscribe mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"#\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Subscribe<\/span><\/a><div class=\"onoffswitch2 mash-medium mashsb-noshadow\" style=\"display:none\"><\/div><\/div>\n            <\/div>\n                <div style=\"clear:both\"><\/div><\/aside>\n            <!-- Share buttons by mashshare.net - Version: 4.0.47--><p>Next\u200b month, senior NATO officials will gather\u200b in\u2064 Washington, D.C., to <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/bill-oreilly-and-tucker-carlson-to-do-sit-down-interview-during-gop-debate-and-trump-speech\/\" title=\"Bill O'Reilly and Tucker Carlson to chat during GOP debate and Trump speech.\">discuss critical issues<\/a> as the alliance reflects on 75 years of existence \u200damidst evolving threats, particularly from \u2064Russia and\u2064 China&#8217;s\u200d aggressive actions \u2062to undermine U.S. and global \u200binfluence. U.S. House Speaker Mike Johnson recently \u200cpushed a vote on national security funding, \u2064including significant\u2063 support for Ukrainian defense \u200dand replenishing \u2064American and NATO weaponry. This decision \u2063revived debates over NATO\u2019s role in deterring Russia from invading smaller alliance\u2063 members, such as Estonia, and whether the security of such \u2063nations aligns with American interests.<\/p>\n<p>Estonia, sharing a long \u200bborder with Russia, faces significant military\u2064 and\u200b hybrid threats from its neighbor. Recent Russian activities,\u2062 including escalated military presence, cyberattacks, and airspace violations, underscore its intentions toward reclaiming territories it views as historically its own. Despite its size,\u200b Estonia is vital for\u2063 U.S. and NATO security, reflected in its proactive \u200bstance against both \u200cRussian and\u2063 Chinese influences. Estonia\u2019s Prime \u2063Ministers Kaja Kallas\u2019s leadership has seen Estonia exit Chinese diplomatic forums and strengthen \u200dties with Taiwan,\u200b demonstrating a firm stand against Beijing&#8217;s outreach efforts.<\/p>\n<p>Estonia \u2062also\u200d enhances its defensive capabilities through significant \u2063investment in military technology and infrastructure, aiding NATO and Ukraine, and maintaining high operational cooperation with U.S. Cyber Command.\u200b These\u200b actions showcase Estonia as not only a\u200c beneficiary of NATO\u2019s\u2062 protection but an active and crucial participant in broader regional defense\u2064 and security dynamics.  <\/p>\n<p class=\"readmore\">\n    <button onclick=\"showReadMore()\" id=\"readmorebtn\">Read more&#8230;<\/button>\n<\/p>\n<hr id=\"line\">\n<span id=\"more\"><\/p>\n<div>\n<p>Next month, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/nato\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title>NATO<\/a>\u2019s most senior officials and prominent practitioners will convene in Washington, D.C. The timing is critical. The alliance has been around for 75 years, and the threats to it have gone through major changes. During the last three years, especially, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/russia\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title>Russia <\/a>and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/china\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title>China<\/a> have been increasingly aggressive in their efforts to undermine U.S. influence globally. <a href=\"https:\/\/www.dailysignal.com\/2024\/03\/18\/biden-sets-record-for-most-embassy-evacuations\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title>American embassies are closing across continents<\/a>. U.S. and ally ships <a href=\"https:\/\/www.voanews.com\/a\/houthis-won-t-target-chinese-russian-ships-in-red-sea\/7446893.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title>are cut off from certain <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/americas-achilles-heel-critical-shipyards-shortage-threatens-us-naval-dominance\/\" title=\"US naval dominance at risk due to critical shipyards shortage in America.\">international trade routes<\/a><\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>House Speaker <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/mike-johnson\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title>Mike Johnson<\/a>\u2019s (R-LA) decision to bring the national security supplemental, which included billions more dollars for Ukrainian weapons and reinvesting in American weapons production to replenish its stocks as well as NATO allies\u2019, to a vote in the House dredged up debates over fundamental questions. One of those questions is whether Russia would, if not stopped in Ukraine, attack one of the smaller members of NATO, such as Estonia. And the other more diplomatically sensitive question, but one that must be dealt with, is whether Estonia\u2019s security is in the interest of Americans. <\/p>\n<figure><figcaption>French soldiers attend NATO\u2019s Winter Camp\u00a023 military drills near Tapa, Estonia, Feb. 5, 2023. (Beata Zawrzel \/ NurPhoto \/ Getty)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>To the first question, Russia has never made a secret of its harmful designs for the Baltic region, nor hidden its willingness to use force to achieve those goals. Russian President Vladimir Putin has explicitly stated Russia\u2019s view that the Baltic nations, as well as Poland, are Russia\u2019s historic territory, and even if they remain nations in a technical sense, they have no right to choose to engage positively with the United States and its democratic allies. <\/p>\n<p>Though the Russian invasion of Ukraine is the first phase of the country\u2019s ambition to reclaim the pre-1989 Russian empire, Americans should not be fooled. Putin has been very clear: Under his watch, the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.stripes.com\/theaters\/europe\/2023-05-18\/medvedev-poland-baltics-nato-10155836.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title>\u201ctemporarily occupied Poland and our Baltic provinces\u201d<\/a> will be returned to full Russian dominion. When Putin makes threats, the democratic world should learn to believe him. <\/p>\n<p>Consider that current Russian occupied territory in Ukraine is more than double the size of Estonia. Without American and NATO direct assistance, Estonia would fight valiantly but would not be able to resist Russian occupation. <\/p>\n<p>Latvia and Estonia, in particular, share hundreds of miles of border with Russia, and even with new NATO members Finland and Sweden, Russia possesses a considerable regional time-distance advantage in the event of an attack. Russia has worked to deepen this advantage by increasing pressure on the Baltics, and therefore on NATO, through its military reform, defense industry buildup, and sustained incursions. Russia\u2019s aims are obvious: gaining additional footholds of influence, gathering intelligence that might serve future operations, and destabilizing the Baltics as much as possible ahead of military action. <\/p>\n<figure><figcaption>Kaja Kallas, prime minister of Estonia, attends a NATO summit in Vilnius, Lithuania, July 11, 2023. (Pavel Golovkin \/ AP)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>Moscow\u2019s most recent efforts to leverage its influence against NATO\u2019s eastern front have included increased cyberattacks, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.reuters.com\/world\/europe\/estonia-says-russia-violates-international-rules-with-gps-interference-2024-04-30\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title>jamming airspace<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.defenseone.com\/threats\/2024\/02\/russian-hybrid-operations-rise-estonia-moldova\/394318\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title>expanded hybrid operations<\/a>, and, most concerningly, <a href=\"https:\/\/thehill.com\/policy\/defense\/4465839-russia-may-double-forces-nato-borders\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title>a planned army corps near its northwestern border with Estonia<\/a> that would double the number of Russian troops sitting on NATO\u2019s doorstep. <\/p>\n<p>Russia appears to be testing NATO\u2019s stomach for confronting the Kremlin and so is becoming increasingly belligerent in its Baltic incursions. Fortunately, Estonia has set an excellent foundation for the U.S. to act. The Estonians articulated a strategy to enable Ukraine to win to protect themselves and in doing so strengthen the entire NATO alliance. And this brings us to the answer to the second question. Is Estonian security important to Americans? Yes, decidedly so. <\/p>\n<p>Estonia, a geographically small nation though it is, is a vital contributor to U.S. security. <\/p>\n<p>It has taken a clear-eyed view of the threats to the political-military interests of NATO. <\/p>\n<p>First, the Baltics recognize that the flourishing <a href=\"https:\/\/www.politico.eu\/article\/china-new-vassal-vladimir-putin\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title>\u201cno-limits\u201d friendship<\/a> between China and Russia is one that only heightens the danger posed by Russia, and this has rightfully increased the Baltic wariness of Beijing. Under Prime Minister Kaja Kallas\u2019s leadership, Estonia, along with Lithuania and Latvia, has worked to limit Chinese economic influence through <a href=\"https:\/\/www.politico.eu\/article\/down-to-14-1-estonia-and-latvia-quit-chinas-club-in-eastern-europe\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title>its exit of \u201c17 + 1,\u201d<\/a> a diplomatic forum established by Beijing to entice Central and Eastern European countries toward Chinese investments. This triple exit, along with Estonian efforts to forge stronger ties with Taiwan, constitutes a significant blow to China\u2019s European charm offensive.<\/p>\n<p>Estonia has also taken the initiative in upping internal security to repel Russian hybrid operations from its borders, which have included, among other things, destruction of property, high-profile vandalism, and bomb threats. Its concerted efforts to fight back against Russian influence, including <a href=\"https:\/\/www.defense.gov\/News\/News-Stories\/Article\/Article\/2434474\/estonia-us-conduct-joint-defensive-cyber-operation\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title>collaboration with U.S. Cyber Command on critical cyber operations<\/a>, have given Estonia the highest per capita rate of detained Russian agents in Europe and won it Moscow\u2019s ire, including a Russian arrest warrant out for Kallas. <\/p>\n<figure><figcaption>A US Abrams battle tank participates in a multinational military exercise in Hohenfels, Germany, June 8, 2022. (Alex Kraus \/ Bloomberg \/ Getty)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>Finally, Estonia has followed its denunciation of the Russian threat with strong action to promote its own defense, including investment in the medium-range air defense system IRIS-T, HIMARS, cruise missiles, armored vehicles, large-caliber munitions, self-propelled howitzers K9, ammunition stocks, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/what-could-the-militaries-of-europe-contribute-to-defending-taiwan\/\" title=\"What Could the Militaries of Europe Contribute to Defending Taiwan?\">anti-ship capabilities<\/a>, and sea mines. <\/p>\n<p>Estonia has continuously provided unflinching support for Ukraine. It has advocated the strengthening of NATO manufacturing capabilities in order to combat the arms shortage in Ukraine, and Estonian-provided Javelin anti-tank missiles have also proven critical to Ukraine\u2019s defense of Kyiv, along with the surface and land platforms, ammunition, and light weaponry included in Estonia\u2019s expansive $87.5 billion aid package. In fact, the Baltics have all consistently been among the greatest NATO supporters of Ukraine in terms of highest relative GDP percentage put toward aid. Estonia has also partnered with Latvia to replenish Ukraine\u2019s drone systems, as well as leading the Ukraine Defense Contact Group, a multinational coalition that focuses on upgrading military data systems and IT capabilities.<\/p>\n<p>Estonia\u2019s defense spending for 2024 sits at 3.2% of GDP, over a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/thanks-to-inflation-back-to-school-prices-expected-to-skyrocket\/\" title=\"Thanks To Inflation, Back-To-School Prices Expected To Skyrocket\">full percentage point<\/a> above the NATO commitment, and it is set to rise as high as 5% in the coming years. In fact, all the Baltic countries fund defense at GDP percentages over the required 2%, and all are planning to raise it to at least 3% within the coming year. Estonia has focused on closing critical capability gaps through investment in air defense, anti-tank, and maritime defense infrastructure. This has not only strengthened Baltic internal security but has also supplemented NATO\u2019s <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/china-successfully-tests-2-new-missiles-types\/\" title=\"China successfully tests 2 new missiles types\">rapid response capability<\/a> to a Russian attack on its eastern front.  <\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title><strong>CLICK HERE TO READ MORE FROM THE WASHINGTON EXAMINER<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n<p>Estonia has embraced the principles that characterize the U.S.-led international order. And it continues to innovate to contribute to the security of the entire alliance. But it can only do so much given its physical size and geographic location. Estonia and the other two Baltic nations can only continue to oppose the Russian mobilization in and around their borders if the U.S., as the superpower with a coalescing impact on the alliance, provides diplomatic backing and defensive aid to deter Russia from launching further attacks \u2014 nuclear, conventional, or otherwise. <\/p>\n<p>America must retake the lead in supporting the regional partners that have already taken the initiative in promoting our strategic interests. To do otherwise is to show Russia that unprovoked military aggression pays off and to show our most faithful allies that they stand alone against a major power hell-bent on their subsumption.  <\/p>\n<p><em>Rebeccah L. Heinrichs is a senior fellow at Hudson Institute and the director of its <a href=\"https:\/\/www.hudson.org\/research\/18058-keystone-defense-initiative-newsletter\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Keystone Defense Initiative<\/a>.<\/em><\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Next month, top NATO officials will meet in Washington, D.C. amid critical times. Celebrating 75 years, the alliance faces evolving threats, particularly from Russia and China&#8217;s intensified efforts to challenge the U.S. over the past three years<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3218,"featured_media":2267498,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_mo_disable_npp":"","fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/Fea.NATO_.1.jpg.optimal.jpg","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-2267497","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry"],"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/Fea.NATO_.1.jpg.optimal.jpg","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2267497","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3218"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2267497"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2267497\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2267498"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2267497"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2267497"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2267497"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}