Estonian defense chief: Real war threat is not necessary to defend one's country

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Photo: Mihkel Maripuu

The defense forces are capable of defending Estonia in a conflict but it does not take a real war threat for defense to happen, commander of the defense forces Maj. Gen. Riho Terras says.

"The Estonian defense forces are defending Estonia here and now. It is not necessary for a real war threat to emerge in order to defend one's country, the state has to be defended by one's actions also in peacetime," Terras said on a talk show of public broadcaster ETV on Wednesday.

In a war situation the defense forces will use all the resources that exist today, the defense chief added. "If we're able to invest enough in capabilities in a ten-year perspective our military capability will be even stronger."

In Terras' view, in the next couple of years emphasis ought to be on the development of the infantry brigade. "Armaments, equipment and people, so we have enough professional military, that's where we need to put the emphasis," he said.

"We have to build up a sufficient independent defense capability, we have to demonstrate the presence of allies, so that the thought that military success can be achieved on this piece of land would not even cross anybody's mind," he added.

Estonia's military units already form a considerable force in a war situation, Terras stated. "Kaitseliit is the first who is ready to do its duty," he added. In his words, the role of the volunteer corps has grown from year to year as has public support for it.

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