In a letter to the European Union (EU) president, Poland, Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia called on the EU to build a defence line along the border with Russia and Belarus to protect the EU from military threats and other harmful actions, stressing that the project, which would protect the 27 countries’ 450 million citizens, would require financial support from all member states, reported Reuters.
In the letter, the leaders of the four countries said the creation of defence infrastructure along the EU’s borders with Russia and Belarus would “address the urgent and pressing need” to defend against military and hybrid threats, including disinformation, cyber-attacks, economic pressures and migrant crises.
“The scale and cost of this joint action demonstrate the need for dedicated EU action to support it, both politically and financially,” the letter said.
Some EU diplomats estimate that it would cost around 2.5 billion euros to build such a defence line on the ground along the EU’s 700-kilometre border with Russia and Belarus.
The call follows an earlier initiative by Greece and Poland to create a single EU air defence system, which would harmonise the currently separate air defence systems of EU countries.
“Emergency measures are necessary because the EU’s external border must be secured and protected by military and civilian means,” the four countries said in their letter.
The letter says that the planning and implementation of a defence line on the EU’s eastern border should be carried out in coordination with NATO and its military requirements. (BNN)