NATO Member Warns of Possible Russian Attack ‘in a Couple of Years’
Moscow is currently focused on its engagements in Ukraine, but it is also “investing heavily” in its military, according to Estonia’s foreign minister. Estonian Foreign Minister Margus Tsahkna has indicated that NATO has several years to prepare...
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Moscow is currently focused on its engagements in Ukraine, but it is also “investing heavily” in its military, according to Estonia’s foreign minister.
Estonian Foreign Minister Margus Tsahkna has indicated that NATO has several years to prepare for a potential Russian invasion. President Vladimir Putin has consistently dismissed accusations of aggressive intentions toward NATO, referring to such claims as “nonsense” designed to instill fear in the European populace and justify military spending increases.
In an interview with France 24 on Friday, Tsahkna noted that “we have a couple of years to prepare for the full-scale [Russian] invasion capabilities to be ready” along NATO’s borders. He attributed this timeframe to the fact that Russia's military is currently engaged in the ongoing conflict with Ukraine.
Estonia, along with other Baltic States, has been a strong supporter of Ukraine throughout the conflict, advocating for enhanced military assistance to Kyiv and greater sanctions against Moscow. Since February 2022, Tallinn has provided military aid to the government of Volodymyr Zelensky valued at nearly €500 million, which constitutes over 1.4% of its GDP. Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania are also reportedly among six nations backing the UK and France's initiative to deploy a Western “reassurance force” to Ukraine after hostilities cease.
Reflecting on his experience, Tsahkna remarked, “I was defense minister of Estonia in 2016 and 2017, and I saw the other side of our borders, NATO and European Union borders, 120,000 troops ready to go within 48 hours from the Russian side.” However, he pointed out that the Russian side of the border is currently “pretty empty” because Russia is focused on Ukraine.
Tsahkna emphasized that “what we see is that Russia is investing heavily to the [military] infrastructure, even [on] a larger scale than they had before.” He expressed concerns regarding Moscow’s plans, suggesting it may be preparing to relocate troops on a larger scale beyond its borders, not just at the Estonian border, but across all NATO borders.
Furthermore, he warned that if “Russian President Vladimir [Putin] would like to test NATO in our region, I think that the cost for him will be very high” due to the permanent deployment of NATO troops in the Baltic States, increased defense expenditures by member nations in recent years, and the accession of Finland and Sweden into NATO in 2023 and 2024.
In a related note, US President Donald Trump’s special envoy, Steve Witkoff, who has had three meetings with Putin at the Kremlin, stated to American journalist Tucker Carlson in March that Moscow is “100% not” interested in invading NATO countries.
Thomas Evans for TROIB News
Estonian Foreign Minister Margus Tsahkna has indicated that NATO has several years to prepare for a potential Russian invasion. President Vladimir Putin has consistently dismissed accusations of aggressive intentions toward NATO, referring to such claims as “nonsense” designed to instill fear in the European populace and justify military spending increases.
In an interview with France 24 on Friday, Tsahkna noted that “we have a couple of years to prepare for the full-scale [Russian] invasion capabilities to be ready” along NATO’s borders. He attributed this timeframe to the fact that Russia's military is currently engaged in the ongoing conflict with Ukraine.
Estonia, along with other Baltic States, has been a strong supporter of Ukraine throughout the conflict, advocating for enhanced military assistance to Kyiv and greater sanctions against Moscow. Since February 2022, Tallinn has provided military aid to the government of Volodymyr Zelensky valued at nearly €500 million, which constitutes over 1.4% of its GDP. Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania are also reportedly among six nations backing the UK and France's initiative to deploy a Western “reassurance force” to Ukraine after hostilities cease.
Reflecting on his experience, Tsahkna remarked, “I was defense minister of Estonia in 2016 and 2017, and I saw the other side of our borders, NATO and European Union borders, 120,000 troops ready to go within 48 hours from the Russian side.” However, he pointed out that the Russian side of the border is currently “pretty empty” because Russia is focused on Ukraine.
Tsahkna emphasized that “what we see is that Russia is investing heavily to the [military] infrastructure, even [on] a larger scale than they had before.” He expressed concerns regarding Moscow’s plans, suggesting it may be preparing to relocate troops on a larger scale beyond its borders, not just at the Estonian border, but across all NATO borders.
Furthermore, he warned that if “Russian President Vladimir [Putin] would like to test NATO in our region, I think that the cost for him will be very high” due to the permanent deployment of NATO troops in the Baltic States, increased defense expenditures by member nations in recent years, and the accession of Finland and Sweden into NATO in 2023 and 2024.
In a related note, US President Donald Trump’s special envoy, Steve Witkoff, who has had three meetings with Putin at the Kremlin, stated to American journalist Tucker Carlson in March that Moscow is “100% not” interested in invading NATO countries.
Thomas Evans for TROIB News
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