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60 million euros will be spent by Latvia, Lithuania and Estonia to strengthen themselves against the "Russian bear" that remains a constant threat to their security since the start of the military offensive in Ukraine.
The three Baltic countries, part of the EU and NATO, will invest in building bunkers along the border with Russia, while Putin and Brussels in high-pitched statements warn that they will increase their stockpiles of weapons to be ready for war.
"The project, which will cost approximately 60 million euros, ensures the readiness to fight the enemy from the first moment", say NATO officials, according to "The Sun".
In the aftermath of the carnage following the start of the Russian war in Ukraine, the defense ministers of Latvia, Lithuania and Estonia agreed to take measures to avoid the same fate.
The three Baltic countries will build an "extensive fortification network" along the border with Russia to prevent Putin's invasion, while there are fears that World War III will break out.
Shelter construction will begin first in Estonia, with the country's Defense Minister Susan Lilleveli clarifying that the ultimate priority is to ensure readiness "to fight the enemy from the first moment."
Estonia, according to "The Sun", plans to build 600 bunkers around the border crossing points of Narva in the north and Voru in the south of the country.
As Ukraine has managed to resist Moscow's onslaught, it is likely that the three small Baltic states will be invaded by the Russians within days.
"The war in Ukraine showed that the recovery of already occupied territories is extremely difficult and has a huge cost in human lives, time and material resources. Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania have long been considered the most likely Russian targets for Putin if he were to attack NATO countries. These facilities serve, first, the purpose of avoiding a military conflict in our region, as they can potentially change the mindset of the enemy. Fortification measures have played an important role in wars in our region historically, for example in Finland, and as the war in Ukraine has shown, they are still valid in this century," the Estonian minister stressed.
For his part, the Secretary General of NATO, Jens Soltenberg, has warned Europe that it will have to increase the production of weapons systems to withstand any threat from the Moscow regime.
"We need to reorganize and expand our industrial base in order to increase deliveries to Ukraine and reshape our arsenal," Stoltenberg told the German press.
The head of NATO claims the 31-member alliance does not seek war with Russia, however, he specifically referred to Putin's war in Ukraine as proof that "peace in Europe cannot be taken for granted."
"If Putin defeats Ukraine, there is no guarantee that Russian aggression will not spread further. Supporting Ukraine, as well as investing in NATO's capabilities, is our best defense," Stoltenberg underlined for the German newspaper Welt am Sonntag.
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