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Molly K. McKew, journalist, writes about Estonia's tiny resolve to meet the challenges of Politico magazine. We present his ideas:
Nobody seems to be waiting for the Western Alliance for the next few years.
The NATO Summit meets in Brussels with a brief glance of Donald before leaving for a meeting with Vladimir Putin in Helsinki. In this context, British Prime Minister Theresa May, who is still waiting for the inevitable backstop with a brick wall called Brexit, meets for the first time Angela Merkel and then Donald Trump. All this would be a routine photo shoot of politicians' diplomatic stance against the camera, but this threatens to blur the international order that has consolidated US leadership on the world stage since the end of the Second World War [19659004seesitselfasatroublingNATOAfewweeksbeforetheNATOsummithewasconstantlyonhiswaytotheAlliesfortheirdefensespendingTocounterthisthetransatlanticalliancesponsorswhohaveconsolidatedUSpowerplungeintoashamefulinformationcampaignfortherisingcostofAllieddefense
as usual , it is accompanied by a preliminary examination of the weaknesses of the alliances between the Suwalki Lithuania corridor And, as usual, the allies of the north of this corridor remain focused on what is most important: the Necessary and fundamental transformation of NATO
Almost 10 times since the Russian invasion of Georgia in August 2008. learn the lessons of the allies with a greater fight against various forms of aggression Russian. They are at the forefront of Estonia's partners who, unlike Georgians, have been full members of NATO since 2004.
The defense mentality of the United States, Estonia is defined by the principle of dualism. To survive, we must integrate: Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania have joined forces to reach NATO and the European Union and continue to work together with the US B3 format and from NATO. The NATO treaty states that all members of the alliance must hurry to help the attacker. But if a small country has to survive, it has to prepare for a scenario where it will have to resist the Russian aggression again. He just has to be ready.
This ambivalence – standing together, but being ready to fight alone – also affects the role of the United States in the region. He also forms a new model for our commitment on the front: the defense must be led by the Alliance, but also be a Hyperlocal .
The idea that Estonia, whose population is slightly greater than the number of Russian troops and / or who does not have a significant capacity to withstand Russian air strikes or armored vehicles, could somehow resist the Russian offensive, on the Atlantic side a lot may seem like a bad debate at ease. However, Estonia has resources as desirable as flamethrowers or tanks – the will to resist and mobilize the population. In a country where only 1.3 million lives. of the population, 60,000 are fully prepared and serve in the army, or are in reserve.
Estonian Soldiers
This is an important reason why US special forces have allocated new resources to the Baltic states. the region.
Recently, a rainy afternoon In Tallinn, after the monument to the Estonian Freedom Cross, I met Colonel Riho Uhtegi, the ambbadador of Estonia in Estonia. Special Operations Commander, with whom we discussed the Russian threat and new deterrence methods.
"People say that a five-day war was going on in Georgia, but it did not last five days.The hybrid campaign started much earlier, but nobody wanted to see it," Uhtegi says some have unusual experiences, and his biography, including underground resistance, military intelligence and counter-espionage, looks like a novel about the Soviet spy scenario, and tells a joke about how the last tanks left Estonia in 1994 – no one would want to repeat this process
Molly K. McKew
That is why, after nearly three decades after helping to form the first military units, the Estonian Defense League (Kaitseliit) reconverted, which will begin preparations for the Estonian defense , who will soon be independent, R. Some continue to work to ensure that Estonia is ready to fight for a rather unconventional reflection, as this struggle can turn into an unusual hybrid conflict.
"The nature of modern warfare is asymmetrical, it's hard to find and recognize enemy forces and destroy them, but that's exactly what we need to do here." Just like in Afghanistan or Iraq , only here, "says Uhtegi
As most of his generation of Estonians R. Uhtegi encourages and motivates personal things related to the history of his country 19659002] "We all had a grandfather who remembered the times of independence. They filled our heads with stories about this period, "says Uhtegi, speaking of how he grew up during the Soviet occupation. The fate of the other grandparents remains silent – they were killed by the Soviets or died in the gulag. More than 10% of the Estonian population was deported to Stalin's death in 1953.
"In the late 90s, after serving in the Soviet Army, we went to an isolated village near the Afghan-Uzbek border. People in this place have heard of our protests for independence and have imagined Estonia as a symbol of freedom. I was really surprised. I myself participated in these events because it was just necessary to participate. We all participated. But now I understand what it means for many people, "recalls R. Uhtegi
.
"When I came back, I dreamed such a dream, a battle took place near my hometown, we are against the Russians, and of course our organization was poor. the hills near Elva.All my friends were there.The Russians were coming from the south of Valga.Many of us have died.I have clearly blushed the blood and weapons. I took the Kalashnikov machine from a dead Russian soldier and shot them, then we traveled and hid in the forest, chased us away, we were a team, then we left Finally, I stayed alone and ran, then I realized where I was going, in the sea, "R. Uhtegi.
During the Soviet era, the shores of Estonia were strictly controlled so that no one escaped to Finland or Sweden.
The officer continues his dream narrative: "When I arrived, the sun was coming down, the sea was calm.In the water, I saw the reflection of a ship white (in Estonia, white vessels are a symbol of hope and freedom, and during the occupation they symbolized the hope that the West would eventually escape to save the day. Estonia) .I was already in the water before transport.I stayed there with an empty machine in my hand.In the back forest I heard dogs and Russian screams. They are coming in. I was ready to jump on the boat, but stopped and thought.I am my home.I must keep in touch with everyone.My place here. "
"When I was awake, I was very much affected by this dream.I could still feel it and see it.I was so happy to see that my friends were alive in the dream. It was a breakthrough, I saw what to do: I have to create the freedom of my homeland, so I found a way to fight again
Shortly after, Uhtegi has created the first military units with others
When he told this story, he seemed to be very disturbed.But every word hit me.It's not the only one to tell a story on the dreams that made him realize what he has to do.The defense of this place is a sacred duty, especially for the peoples of the generation of independence
C & # 39; is exactly what Uhtegi generally believes to be underestimated in all the publications where the authors speak of the vulnerability of the Baltic states in the event of invasion 19659027] Estonian Soldiers ” width=”580″/>
Estonian Soldiers
"Do you know why Russia did not occupy Tbilisi in 2008? – Asked by R. Uhtegi – It was just about 50 kilometers, and no one stopped them. "
Since I spent most of my time in Georgia, I knew the answer to that question: it was not because the Georgians – really crazy Having heard this explanation, R. Uhtegi broke out laughter: "Yes, it's true.The Georgians are crazy – they would have fought.Russia was unacceptable for the unfortunate struggle in Tbilisi faced with unequal weight."
"Similar discussions are ongoing, for example, it is said that the Russians could come to Tallinn in a few days … Maybe. (The capital of Estonia is about 200 kilometers from the border However, all Estonia will not occupy them in a few days.They will descend to Tallinn, but in their footsteps we will abandon all their lines of communication and supply – all, "he continued. looking at me stubbornly, two days before Tallinn they will come down, but in Tallinn they are dying, and they know it, and for every corner, every step, a fire is waiting for them. "
R Some
of Estonian military doctrine are actually called for a counter-attack in case of invasion. I remembered the previous conversation with General Aleksandr Einseln, an Estonian who had left the occupied homeland for 35 years and was later appointed to the post of the Estonian Armed Forces who was the first to become independent. Then we discussed the general guide No. Einseln. 1 stating that in the event of subsequent invasion of Estonia, the Defense Forces shall, without further orders, "demonstrate active resistance to the aggressor" and not to the other. interrupt before the election of the President of the country is over.
"He ordered all officers to reprimand immediately if Russian forces crossed the Estonian border, no other successor of the commander of the Estonian Armed Forces dared to cancel this order", – said R. Uhtegi, adding that this statement was the basis for training a new generation of officers.
The threat of an invasion seems much less existential in the United States. in which no one heard the voice of a commander of the elite military forces talking about the plan that his family should take in case of a crisis. According to R. Uhtegi, such types of programs were made for each officer's family, both during occupation and now. Very important is the understanding of those who are struggling, and they must be sure that families will at least provide relative security in the family without them.
"In 1991, we did not really believe that someone would come to help" Some – Even after the restoration of independence, no one would dare to sell weapons immediately to l & # 39; Estonia. So I knew what weapon was used by each of my commanded warriors, I knew how much ammo. We had to expect a peaceful transition. But that's only possible without losing the determination to fight.
The latter idea is still the subject of NATO Allied debates, and the question is whether the willingness and willingness to fight the immediate neighbors would be perceived as a deterrent against Russia, or as a provocation to which the Kremlin would necessarily have responded, paranoid and in particular acute.What ever, it is reasonable to badume in Estonia that the defensive positions of the country are weakened in order to calm Russia is still a misstep.
The Defense League became the backbone of Einseln's "active resistance". The "League of Defense" started its activities even before Estonia announced its independence from the SSR at the beginning of its activities as a semi-underground organization. Its members took over the old weapons used by the forest brothers, who for decades had suffered a rebellion against the Soviet government. R. Uhtema told me a story about the modernization and adaptation of an old partisan machine gun, in order to use the shooting ammunition that he had then enough . I imagined it perfectly somewhere in the mountains of Idaho and happily arranged for a sort of paramilitary group.
Estonian volunteers "Kaitseliit" are formed
When Estonia forms a new power and begins to form troops, it speaks in languages that deserve To be immersed in the Defense League. . "However, the" Defense League "comes from people, people wanted it, they are still there, so we have to complete its transformation to what it was in the beginning," Uhtegi said. According to him, it is a voluntary organization, fundamentally partisan, based on local resources and the ability to adapt the different skills needed to identify and defend against hybrid threats.
R. In some eyes, Estonia has long been in conflict with Russia. "All the conflicts between Estonia and Russia are of a hybrid nature, as was the case in 1924, so it was in 2014," he said. In 1924, the old version of "green man" was infiltrated into the territory of Estonia since the Soviet Union in an attempt to replace the democratically elected government with a Communist regime. Their efforts failed because of a series of unlucky events, at the epicenter of the Telegraf hotel in Tallinn. You probably will not hear about the 1924 coup d'etat if you have not missed a lot of time in Tallinn. But this perfectly illustrates the fact that we know little about the methods of the Kremlin. We often forget the lessons that people like R. Uhtegi learned over and over again
To defend against hybrid threats, it is necessary to create a mechanism of human resistance based on abilities, will and knowledge of situations . In Estonia, this is represented by three branches: Kaitseliit, Estonian special forces and civilians.
R Some
"Defense League" was set up to withstand hybrid threats, threats coming from within ", – said R. Uhtegi. (The Allies in the Baltic States n & # There was no time to doubt that the Kremlin was using their people to manipulate them by any means possible.) He believes that the main functions of Kaitseliit, such as planning and innovation, must be fully restored. And this process, led by the current leadership "Kaitseliit", has already begun. "Territorial Defense must be large localized . It must be our responsibility . This village, this city, this bridge, this river, this People must defend themselves. They know the territory and know how to use it, "said the man.The" Defense League "is the basis for exploiting the local advantage – and then, during the crisis, of 39, other trained men and women can help
Estonian Special Forces, which according to R. Uhtegi, share the same values with the American elite forces, such as the Green Berets, have an exclusive mission alongside the regular defense forces: identification of the line of conduct, special information and support to the army. (It has been said that the Estonian special forces are considered by the American colleagues as highly qualified). "But we act as instigators of resistance.In peace, our mission is to prepare a national resistance against any enemy," said Uhtegi.
The soldiers are convinced that the involvement of each eston, not just the army, is necessary to counter the Russian threat. "The worst thing is the panic We try to explain to people: in case of war, resistance begins now It starts with our resilience We have to be ready for anything and teach people how to behave if something happens, "said the interlocutor.
The role of civilians in this system has three functions: to be ready, to survive, to oppress. Get ready because you need to know what you need in a crisis. Survive, because survival is not just a military definition, it is necessary for everyone. What do you do in the case of war to make the best decisions to survive? Countermeasure, because you have to understand how to do this even without knowing if help is coming or how long it will take you.
In these aspects, deterrence is even more important in civilian than military terms. And this concept of collective and human defense is becoming more and more popular in the region. It is further reinforced by the Pentagon's ideas on the most effective defense scenario in the region with regard to Russian aggression. The scenario of our military exercises reflects what the Pentagon planners accept as a gift: if the Russians are to be beaten, we must know how to take the Baltic region out of the enemy's hand, and not how to protect it. A. Some people know it, like all Esth.
"It has always been a struggle for hearts and minds," he said, "Those who believe are the most precious." Therefore, Estonia is constantly working to create a new faithful.
The Kremlin invaded Georgia in order to prevent this path to NATO. Russia uses different methods to strike the same thing in Ukraine, then attacked the life of the Prime Minister of Montenegro, trying to reach the very last minute. All this only served to highlight the paranoid fears of the Kremlin because of the fact that the old vbadals were trying to defend themselves against the Russian aggression.
The Baltic countries belonged to the group that fled successfully when Russia was weak and vulnerable. However, this was due to the fact that they remained focused on the laser, so their escape from the Iron Curtain would be eternal. And they understand better than anyone that we are screwed into a deadly dance with Putin and his growing insecurity and irrationality. Insist on the idea that even the smallest countdown of NATO Allies can lead to total war, and that it is necessary to reinforce deterrence so that such a mistake calculation does not occur. [D19659002] A brief review of defense costs shows that these allies, like Estonia, not only attribute 2% of their ideological weight to NATO – the will to resist – [traduction] "I do not know what would happen if Russia actually started" It is strictly forbidden to use the information published by DELFI on other sites, the media or elsewhere, or to distribute our material without consent and if consent is received, "said R. Uhtegi," I can badure myself that each eston will resist. "
