Without a motorway and high-speed railway connection between the Baltic states and Poland, NATO would face problems if it had to defend the region against a Russian attack, the Polish daily Rzeczpospolita wrote. Neighbours criticise the Baltic States for being too slow to modernise Via Baltica, which the Poles say would be strategically important for military mobility.
“Via Baltica – Baltic States are endangering NATO’s common security” is the headline of Rzeczpospolita’s article criticising the delayed modernisation of Via Baltica, the motorway connecting Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania and Poland.
The Polish daily is calling for more pressure on the three Baltic States to complete the Via Baltica project faster.
“This is a strategic project that would speed up military and civilian transport in the event of a threat. The aim of the article was to stir up our friends and allies so that we all realise that in the face of a potential threat we need to be more closely connected than we are now,” said Boguslaw Chrabota, editor-in-chief of Rzeczpospolita.
Poland completed the modernisation of its section of Via Baltica at the end of September with the opening of the Lomza bypass. Lithuania expects to complete the section from Poland to Kaunas next year. However, there are no specific dates for when the reconstruction of the road section towards Latvia will start.
“We will have the 40-kilometre section built within 2-3 years. It is a much bigger section. It will depend on the capacity of the contractors and, of course, the finances,” said Lithuanian Transport Minister Marius Skuodis.
Road infrastructure for military mobility is problematic, says Defence Minister Laurynas Kasciunas. However, the most important thing is that the Via Baltica section to Kaunas is being completed, he adds.
“Roads leading to our main military training grounds are the most important in our defence plans,” Kasciunas said.
The minister disagrees with Poland’s statements that Via Baltica is the main artery for NATO mobility in case of war.
“The routes of reinforcements could be through the port of Klaipeda, through Latvian ports, through Estonian ports,” he said.
Europe ends at the Polish-Lithuanian border, the Estonian ambassador to Poland told Rzeczpospolita when assessing the state of the roads in the Baltic States. Upon entering Lithuania, the roads become narrower, congestion increases, and it is necessary to drive through villages.
However, a wider Via Baltica would not save the countries in case of war, said retired Major Darius Antanaitis.
“At the beginning of the war, these roads would be clogged with refugees and military equipment, no matter how wide they were. Therefore, we should still see a slightly broader picture than just an asphalted road,” he noted.
According to him, there is a main route and at least two alternatives for the state of war. If one gets blocked or shelled, countries have to resort to plan B, which the Baltic States have.
“When Finland and Sweden became NATO members, it opened up a lot more opportunities for us. These are seaports, through which much larger numbers of allies can come in,” Antanaitis said.
The neighbouring country’s media also draw attention to the delayed Rail Baltica project. The European gauge, which would connect the Baltic countries via Poland to Western Europe, would stretch almost 870 kilometres. Lithuania promises to complete its 400-kilometre section until 2030. (LRT)