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NATO will have to contain Russia for the next 20 years, Estonian intelligence officer says

Kaupo Rosin stresses need for increased defense investment to deter Russian aggression

Dec 19, 2024 22:04 94

NATO will have to contain Russia for the next 20 years, Estonian intelligence officer says  - 1

The Director General of Estonian intelligence Kaupo Rosin said that NATO will have to contain Russia for the next 10-20 years to prevent any ambitions of Moscow to attack the West by military means.

In an interview quoted by Reuters, he noted that Estonia, which is part of the alliance and shares a border with Russia, has significantly increased its defense spending since the start of the war in Ukraine.

"NATO's task for the next 10-20 years will be to contain Russia," Rosin stressed, saying that the success of this strategy will depend on serious defense investments. Estonia has increased its military spending to 3.4% of GDP this year and has raised taxes to secure its ammunition stocks, quoted by BTA.

According to him, to be effective, NATO's military plans must be realistic and supported by resources, including troops, units and ammunition on the ground. He also added that he could not imagine Russia negotiating over Ukraine in the near future and would continue to try to limit NATO's activity, especially in countries on the alliance's eastern flank.

In addition to Russia, Rosin also touched on the topic of China, warning of the potential risk of blackmail in the event of unrestricted access of Chinese technology to critical sectors of the Estonian economy. He expressed concern about solar inverters, which could be manipulated remotely if steps were not taken to limit Chinese influence in certain technologies.