U.S. vows to stand with Europe as NATO strengthens Baltic defense command

“You are ready to do more and back words with deeds, and the United States will be with you. This is how deterrence is built: not with words from a podium, but with boots in the mud,” Donahue said at a ceremony in Valga, Estonia, where NATO presented a new command for troops in the Baltic states.

NATO troops in the Baltic states — Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia — as well as in northern Poland had until now been under a single multinational headquarters in the northwestern Polish city of Szczecin. Creating a second command zone allows the Alliance to send more troops to the Baltic states.

Two multinational divisions in Estonia and Latvia will now come under the command of the German-Dutch Corps, based in Munster, Germany, Reuters reported.

German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius said the shift in NATO’s posture showed the Alliance’s resolve to defend every inch of allied territory.

“This is a visible and compelling demonstration of NATO unity and readiness, and of our collective resolve to defend every inch of allied territory,” he said in Valga.

The Guardian reported on June 26, citing Western intelligence, that Russia is preparing military provocations in the Baltic states or Poland as pressure grows over long-range strikes by Ukraine’s Defense Forces on Russian cities. A full-scale Russian invasion is not expected, but the actions could include hybrid attacks, including missile or drone strikes, or other operations.

Latvia’s armed forces commander, Kaspars Pudans, previously said Russia had gained an advantage over NATO in drone warfare and could try to use a “window of opportunity” before the end of 2028 to invade the Baltics.