by J.M. Laats
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Lt. Gen. Riho Terras, head of the Estonian Defense Forces
Lt. Gen. Riho Terras, head of the Estonian Defense Forces, said former NATO chief Anders Fogh Rasmussen is well informed, but there is no cause for panic as the Estonian forces are well prepared for a potential hybrid attack similar to the Crimea in Ukraine.
Merle Maigre, the security adviser to President Toomas Hendrik Ilves, said Estonia has learned from Ukraine's experience in Crimea.
She told ETV the positive lesson to take away from Rasmussen's latest comments, when he said the Baltics could be next on Kremlin's agenda, was the call to stop defense cuts and increase quick reaction forces.
“We should recall that Rasmussen has moved on from his previous post as NATO chief to the private sector. He currently has his own consultation and communications business – a back-drop to comments which pass news thresholds,” Maigre said.
“An information war has gone on for decades, against one or another Baltic state. Russia is attempting to manipulate through different information channels, but I have not noticed any recent escalation,” Terras said.
“When the enemy uses diplomacy, economy, information war and military means all combined, then that is now called a hybrid war. But we have considered this in all NATO planning cycles and also in Estonia. We are prepared, we have reckoned with it,” he said.
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