NATO state pushes back on Zelensky’s claim of looming Russian attack

Moscow has long dismissed such allegations as fearmongering designed to justify Western military buildup

Estonia has dismissed Ukrainian leader Vladimir Zelensky’s claims that Russia could be preparing to attack NATO’s Baltic members, saying its intelligence does not indicate any such plans, according to public broadcaster ERR. Moscow has long described claims of a “Russian threat” as “nonsense” used by the US-led military bloc’s European members to justify their military buildup.

Zelensky told local media over the weekend that Moscow could be planning a new mobilization drive to step up its military operation in Ukraine or launch a smaller one against one of the Baltic states, which he claimed “are not prepared for strong resistance.”

Estonian Foreign Minister Margus Tsahkna told ERR on Monday that, since the escalation of the Ukraine conflict in 2022, Kiev has repeatedly alleged a possible Russian attack on the Baltic nations.

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“We don’t see Russia concentrating its forces or preparing in any way militarily to attack NATO or the Baltic states,” Tsahkna said, adding that “such statements do not correspond to our intelligence information.”

The NATO member’s Foreign Intelligence Service (EFIS) concluded in its annual threat assessment report, published in February, that Moscow poses no threat to Estonia in the coming years, stating there is “no cause for panic.”

Estonia has been one of Kiev’s top supporters and has pushed for increased military spending in Europe. Tsahkna said recently that Tallinn is not against the idea of hosting NATO nuclear weapons, adding that the country will be ready if the bloc decides to deploy them there.

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Western officials have long used allegations of looming Russian aggression to justify spikes in military spending, such as Brussels’ €800 billion ($943 billion) ReArm Europe plan and NATO members’ pledge to raise defense spending to 5% of GDP.

Moscow has repeatedly rejected those claims, with Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov stating that Russia has “no reason” to attack the EU or NATO unless attacked first. According to Lavrov, it is the European NATO members that “are seriously preparing for war against the Russian Federation and, in fact, are not even hiding it.”