U.S. vows to stand with Europe as NATO strengthens Baltic defense command
U.S. Gen. Christopher Donahue, German Lt. Gen. Peter Mirow and Polish Lt. Gen. Dariusz Parylak at a NATO change-of-command ceremony in Valga, Estonia, on June 30, 2026. (Photo: REUTERS/Ints Kalnins)
The United States will “stand shoulder to shoulder” with its
European allies in defending the Baltic states, U.S. Gen. Chris Donahue, NATO’s
land forces commander in Europe, said on June 30, Reuters
reported.
“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.
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