The commander of the Estonian Defense Forces, General Martin Herem, expressed the hope that NATO would help the republic at the first sign of a threat from Russia. This is reported by The Washington Post (WP).

“We need reinforcements not when Russian aggression begins, but from the moment we see the first signs and warnings,” the general said.

The Estonian authorities also expect the NATO battalion combat group based in the country to remain in place, the newspaper notes.

The message cites the words of the Prime Minister of the Republic, Kai Kallas, who recalled Estonia's bilateral agreements with NATO countries. “If one country decides to withdraw its troops, then someone else will have to come here,” the prime minister said.

More than 30 NATO warships and nearly 3,700 Marines have previously attended the Baltops 23 military exercise in the Baltic Sea. The event, which will last until June 16, will be attended by Estonia's allies from 19 NATO countries.