NATO Moving Missiles Closer to Russia’s Borders

NATO countries are implementing a rotational air defense model stationed in Lithuania in response to calls from the Baltic states to boost Europe’s defense capabilities in the region.

According to Lithuanian Defense Minister Arvydas Anušauskas, who spoke about the defense model at a press conference Thursday, the defense systems will be operational in his nation later this year. NATO countries agreed to creating a rotational system—in which allied countries would deploy air defense systems to the Baltic states for a period of time—during the Vilnius NATO Summit in the summer.

Anušauskas did not state which Western countries are involved in the first round of air defenses being installed in Lithuania, but did say that the equipment includes Patriot surface-to-air missile systems. The defense official told reporters that the Patriots were being provided by a European ally, not the United States.

“The expectation is that this principle would not be a one-off thing for several months but would cover all of our calendar months and significantly increase our air defense capabilities,” Anušauskas said, as quoted by Lithuanian National Radio and Television.

Newsweek reached out to NATO’s press office via email for more information on Friday.

Several European countries have raised concerns that Russia’s war against Ukraine could eventually lead to a greater conflict between Moscow and NATO. The military alliance has taken several steps to bolster its defense systems along its eastern border in recent months, including by conducting trainings in the spring for over 90,000 troops from all 32 of the member states in countries that share a border with Russia, such as the Baltic nations and Poland.

Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia have been some of the loudest members of NATO that have urged the Western bloc to prepare for Russia’s next offensive in the region. Estonia’s Foreign Intelligence Service, for example, has said that Russia is preparing for war against NATO countries within the next 10 years.

Tensions have remained high between Moscow and the West throughout the war in Ukraine, which has been unequivocally supported by NATO members. Russian President Vladimir Putin has blamed the alliance’s influence on Ukraine’s government as one of the reasons his country was “forced” into war. Putin has also said that the two-year-plus conflict cannot come to an end until Ukraine agrees to remain neutral.

The Kremlin has accused the West of prolonging the war in Ukraine by fortifying Kyiv’s military capabilities, warning late last month that NATO would be crossing a line if allied members send their own troops to fight in Ukraine. While no NATO nation has indicated plans to do so, French President Emmanuel Macron told reporters last month that “nothing should be excluded” in trying to “prevent Russia from winning this war.”