WSJ: Tiny NATO Country Prepares For War With Russia

The best way to avoid war is to demonstrate to Moscow a readiness for defense.

Estonia is stepping up preparations for a potential threat from Russia, making defense planning part of everyday life. Authorities are expanding the network of shelters, conducting large-scale evacuation drills, training schoolchildren to fly drones and increasing military spending, according to The Wall Street Journal.

Special attention is being paid to the country's eastern regions bordering Russia. In the city of Tartu, local authorities are already practicing scenarios of mass evacuation and response to surprise attacks. By 2028, it is planned to set up temporary shelters for 100,000 people.

Kindergarten managers receive crisis training and emergency equipment, including radios, first aid kits and field stoves.

At the same time, Estonian high schools are teaching students how to use drones, and large-scale NATO military exercises involving armored vehicles and hundreds of drones are regularly held in Estonia and neighboring Latvia.

Deterrence

Tallinn is convinced that the best way to avoid war is to show Moscow that it is ready to defend itself. That's why the country is emphasizing not only military capabilities, but also preparing civilians for crisis situations.

"This is how deterrence works. You always have to be prepared so that you are not invaded by Russia. The more you prepare, the more prepared you are, the more Russia sees that there will be no easy battle to win," said Marek Kohv, an expert at the International Center for Defense and Security.

Estonian officials say Russia does not yet pose an immediate military threat to the country because much of its resources are deployed in the war against Ukraine. At the same time, once the fighting is over, Moscow may focus its attention on the Baltic region.

Rising defense spending

Estonia is already among NATO's leaders in terms of the share of defense spending in gross domestic product. The government plans to increase this figure to 5.4 percent of GDP by the end of the decade.

Funds are primarily allocated to the development of air defense systems, unmanned technology and highly mobile U.S.-made reactive artillery systems.

With discussions about a possible reduction of the U.S. military presence in Europe, Tallinn is also actively strengthening cooperation with other NATO allies, primarily the United Kingdom and France.

Ukrainian experience for NATO

One of the largest military measures About 12,000 servicemen from NATO countries took part in the training.

Ukrainian specialists have also joined the trainings and are passing on to the allies the experience of modern warfare with the use of drones.

The presence of allied militaries has already become familiar to residents of eastern Estonia. Convoys of British and French armored vehicles regularly move along local roads, reminding that the country is prepared for any development on NATO's eastern border.

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