Defence Strategy: The Baltic States - Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania & NATO’s Eastern Flank

Sponsored by: Private Internet Access: Designing a military can be hard. Designing a military when your primary adversary is Russia is doing it with a defence budget that could fit within the scope of a single cost overrun on a Pentagon project is something else entirely. Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania are commonly referred to as the Baltic States, from 2004 until Finland’s accession to the organisation, sat relatively isolated on the Alliance’s Eastern flank. Today, we look at how these states perceive their environment, design their forces to counter the perceived threat - and why they have been some of the strongest advocates in both the EU and NATO for extensive support for Ukraine and a decisive defeat for the Russian Federation.. Patreon: Caveats, Comments and Corrections: All normal caveats and disclaimers apply In particular – I would like to note as always that this material has been created for entertainment purposes and is not intended to be a complete or comprehensive examination of the topic in question and should not be relied upon to inform financial or other similar decisions. At one point I quote a source saying Estonia has 56 howitzers, the correct total of 18 and 36 is 54 Readings and Sources (incomplete, to be filled out): Unless otherwise noted, platform and personnel figures are usually as per Military Balance 2024 Reference for corruption perception index data is transparency international, e.g.: The State Defence Concept of Latvia 2023 State Defence Concept Estonia Defence Forces Annual Report 2022 Estonian Ministry of Defence - Setting Transatlantic Defence up for Success: A military strategy for Ukraine’s Victory and Russia’s Defeat Perun - Defence strategy for small nations CRS: Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania: Background and Relations Shiapak & Johnson - Reinforcing Deterrence on NATO’s Eastern Flank Wargaming the Defense of the Baltics Jonathan Masters - How NATO will change if Finland and Sweden become members Reporting on Lithuania’s defence spending plans Estonia’s foreign minister warns the Baltics have 3-4 years to prepare for a Russian test of NATO NATO navies hold Baltic Sea exercise Henri Vanhanen - NATO and Northern Europe: No Longer the Forgotten Flank Featured Reuters report on Baltics seeking more NATO presence Featured report on Danish artillery donations Reporting on Estonian artillery donations Baltic and Polish leaders visiting Ukraine April 2022 ,52353 Source of image used for slide on Estonia’s concerns about protracted Russian occupation Featured article on Czech-led ammunition supply efforts Timestamps: 00:00:00 — Opening Words 00:00:58 — What Am I Talking About? 00:03:22 — History 00:13:57 — Strategic Position 00:20:06 — Perceived Threats & Objectives 00:34:10 — Armed Forces & Approach 00:43:14 — Collective Defence 00:54:33 — Finland & Closing The Door On The Baltic Option 00:58:25 — The Baltic States And Ukraine 01:04:19 — Channel Update