Russia 'danger' to Latvia, Lithuania and Estonia - Fallon

Russia 'danger' to Latvia, Lithuania and Estonia - Fallon
Nato must be ready for aggression in "whatever form" said Michael Fallon

There is a "real and present danger" of Russia trying to destabilise the Baltic states of Latvia, Lithuania and Estonia, the UK defence secretary says.

Michael Fallon said he was worried about "pressure" from Russian President Vladimir Putin on the ex-Soviet states, which are Nato members.

Russia might use tactics there similar to those it used in Ukraine, he said.

Shadow foreign secretary Douglas Alexander told the BBC he too had "very real concerns" about the situation.

Mr Fallon's comments came after Prime Minister David Cameron called on Europe to tell Russia it faced economic and financial consequences for "many years to come" if it did not stop destabilising Ukraine.

Meanwhile, the Ministry of Defence has said RAF jets were scrambled on Wednesday after two Russian military aircraft were seen off the Cornwall coast.

'Getting ready'

Mr Fallon said Nato must be prepared for aggression from Russia "in whatever form it takes".

"Nato is getting ready," he added.

Speaking to journalists from the Times and Daily Telegraph during a flight to Sierra Leone, where British troops are helping tackle the Ebola outbreak, Mr Fallon said: "I'm worried about Putin.

"I'm worried about his pressure on the Baltics, the way he is testing Nato."

He said Russia was likely to use covert tactics such as those he said it had used to annex Crimea and during the current Ukraine conflict.

Russia has denied helping pro-Russian separatists, but it has been repeatedly accused of sending weapons and troops and using propaganda to inflame tensions.


Analysis
There is concern that events in the Ukraine mean more than "just a temporary crisis"

Eleanor Garnier

BBC political correspondent

The warning the Defence Secretary has made in the Times and Telegraph is clear. Baltic States like Latvia, Lithuania and Estonia could be next in a targeted campaign backed by Russia.

Earlier this month it was revealed the UK would play a lead role in a new Nato rapid reaction force that would include 1,000 British soldiers.

It was a move designed to deter a perceived Russian threat and reassure the Baltic States.

This tough language from Mr Fallon underlines a concern that Russia's seizure of the Crimea and the recent fighting in Ukraine are more than just a temporary crisis between Russia and the West.


Mr Fallon said the situation was not a new Cold War - and was "pretty warm" already.

"You have tanks and armour rolling across the Ukrainian border and you have an Estonian border guard being captured and not yet still returned," he said.

"When you have jets being flown up the English Channel, when you have submarines in the North Sea, it looks to me like it's warming up."

Elsewhere, Mr Cameron said rebels in eastern Ukraine were using Russian military hardware, adding: "You can't buy this equipment on eBay, it hasn't come from somewhere else, it's come from Russia and we know that.

"So we have to be very firm and strong about the sanctions and say to Vladimir Putin 'what you are doing is unacceptable and it will have economic and financial consequences for many years to come if you do not desist with your behaviour'."

One of the principles of Nato, which is made up of 26 European countries as well as the US and Canada, is that an "attack against one or several members is considered as an attack against all" - he said.


Admiral Lord West, a former First Sea Lord and Nato commander, said: "We need to be absolutely clear - the Baltic States are part of Nato, Article 5 says an attack on one is an attack on all.

"We cannot afford to let a line in the sand like that be crossed."

Mr Alexander said that it was "important that not just Europe but also Nato stands united at this dangerous and difficult moment".

Adam Swain, an expert in post-Soviet Europe from the University of Nottingham, said he found it "difficult to imagine" that President Putin would launch "overt aggression" against the Baltic countries because he could expect a "severe response".

He said the failing "We had the Minsk agreement last week, it doesn't appear to be working… it means that politicians like the defence secretary are responding through rhetoric rather than through real action."

The UK Joint Delegation to Nato tweeted that Russia had deployed the country's "most advanced anti-aircraft artillery system" in Ukraine.

source: bbc