Russia Unlikely to Attack Anyone, Says Laar
Russia is currently not a country that would launch an attack against another nation, Minister of Defense Mart Laar said, when asked about a recent report issued by the Finnish National Defense University.
According to the report, Russian troop strength in the country's northwestern periphery has doubled in a short time. That, coupled with NATO members' military resources being tied up in conflicts such as Afghanistan, might create a military vaccuum in Western Europe that would leave NATO too slow to respond to a possible Russian attack, the report said.
Laar, however, told Kuku Raadio that he believes the research underestimates NATO capabilities and participation in foreign missions has not weakened its ability to defend Western Europe.
Russia's armed forces could always raise concerns for Estonia, said Laar, adding that it is nevertheless necessary to look at the facts. "Considering the Russo-Georgian War, the Russian army cannot be evaluated as too strong," Laar said.
"Russia is more dangerous to the world with its internal weaknesses," the minister said. For example, the crumbling Sosnovoi Bor nuclear power plant operating in Leningrad Oblast not far from the Estonian-Russian border is a threat, he said.
Ingrid Teesalu