“Protect every inch of allied territory“has been the most repeated mantra by NATO since Russian President Vladimir Putin launched to invade Ukraine more than 16 months ago. Around that goal, the atlantic alliance it has reinforced its eastern flank with the deployment of weapons and troops. Everything to deter and be able to respond to a possible Russian aggression.
However, the exile of the leader of the Wagner Group, Yevgeny Prigozhin, to Belarus after their failed mutiny presents a new challenge for the organization. Among other things because it is not just about Prigozhin, but about the russian mercenaries who joined the insurrection and to whom Putin has given two options: either join the army or leave with their boss. At the moment it is unknown how many of these combatants have moved to Minsk or how many will in the future. But that is not important.
The Baltic countries (Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania) and Poland -which share a border with Belarus, where there are currently some 2,000 Russian soldiers participating in military training- have already expressed their concern about the threat that the presence of these mercenary forces would pose a few kilometers from their territories. For this reason, they have asked NATO to increase the deployment of troops in the area and thus be able to respond to what a threat to your security.
[Capturar a la élite militar con la ‘colaboración’ de un alto mando ruso: el plan tras el motín de Prigozhin]
“The presence of the Wagner Group in Belarus is a very significant signal to which, in our opinion, NATO should definitely pay attention.“, said this Wednesday the Lithuanian president, Nauseda Gypsywhich has emphasized that “a group of experienced mercenaries can always pose a potential danger.”
For his part, the Polish President, Andrzej Dudawho has traveled with Nauseda to kyiv to meet with Ukrainian President Volodimir Zelensky, has warned that he will strengthen security at his borders if necessary. Along the same lines, the Estonian Prime Minister, Kaja Kallas, has defended that “Belarus is unpredictable and dangerous”, so her country will be on alert “before any event”, according to statements collected by Efe.
Ukraine’s President Zelenskiy, Poland’s President Duda and Lithuania’s President Nauseda attend a press conference in Kiev.
The 4,000 German soldiers
A couple of days ago the German Government already responded to the request of its eastern allies and offered to establish a permanent presence of a brigade of 4,000 soldiers in Lithuania to strengthen the eastern flank. But it has not only been Berlin, which has already promised to expand its Defense commitments, but NATO itself that has reacted.
The Secretary General of the Alliance, Jens Stoltenberg, reiterated Wednesday that the organization is prepared to defend itself against any “potential adversary.” He warned, yes, that it was too early to “draw definitive conclusions” about the Prigozhin rebellion – which is considered a “internal affairs of Russia”-, but that the situation is being followed “very closely”.
Likewise, Stoltenberg acknowledged that it is a real possibility that the forces of the Wagner Group will be deployed in Belarus. A potential threat against which “it was sending a very clear message to any potential adversaries, including Moscow and Minskthat we are there to protect and defend every inch of allied territory,” he emphasized.
NATO Secretary Stoltenberg and Estonian Prime Minister Kallas hold a press conference at NATO headquarters in Brussels.
Thus, although the Alliance already has plans and capabilities, Stoltenberg assured that -in line with what was agreed at their summit held last year in Madrid- they are going to “assign specific forces to specific territories” in order to increase the disposition of its forces. “We are constantly evaluating the need for ground troop presence throughout the Alliance, including the Baltic region,” he explained.
Along these lines, the head of NATO stressed that the “illegal war” of Putin in Ukraine is “a big strategic mistake that it has deepened existing divisions and created new tensions in Russia.” But in no case, he added, should “underestimate Russia” or stop supporting Ukraine.
