Finland's NATO membership would open up "northern route" for reinforcements arriving in Baltics - Lithuanian minister

• Published date: 12 May 2022
• Publication title: LETA

VILNIUS, May 12 (LETA--BNS) - Finland's NATO membership would open up a "northern route" for Lithuania and the other Baltic states in planning the arrival of reinforcements, while making Russia's Kaliningrad exclave even more of a corridor, Lithuanian Defense Minister Arvydas Anusauskas said on Thursday.

"Russia's military position is weakening and they are well aware of it," the minister told reporters. "Any demonstrative actions they try to do now are just demonstrative actions. In fact, I think Russia's continued aggressive rhetoric and policy and aggressive actions against its neighbors are producing quite the opposite result," he added.

Lithuanian Foreign Minister Gabrielius Landsbergis has also noted that Finland's accession to NATO would substantially change the security situation in the region, warning at the same time that Russia is an aggressive and dangerous state whose threats should be taken seriously.

In Anusauskas' words, Finland's NATO membership would open up a "northern route" for Lithuania and the other Baltic states in planning the arrival of reinforcements, according to Anusauskas. "This is something that Lithuania and the Baltic region did not have. Via Finland from Norway," he said.

Russia's Baltic exclave of Kaliningrad will become "even more...