European Parliament leaders have rejected what they called “unfounded and dangerous” allegations by Russia against Latvia, Estonia and Lithuania, and expressed full solidarity with the three Baltic EU member states.
The European Parliament’s Conference of Presidents — which brings together the Parliament President and political group leaders — said Russia had claimed the Baltic states were preparing hostile actions against Russia or allowing their territory, airspace or military facilities to be used for attacks, the parliamentary press service reported on Thursday.
Latvia has categorically denied the accusations and described them as disinformation.
The statement said the allegations were part of a wider pattern of intimidation, disinformation and provocation directed at EU member states, adding that the claims were particularly serious given repeated incursions of unidentified drones into the airspace and territory of the Baltic states.
It declared no EU member state should be threatened, intimidated or subjected to coercive pressure by Russia, adding that “the security of the Baltic states is the security of the European Union as a whole”.
Calls for EU and NATO coordination
The group called on the European Commission, the EU’s foreign policy chief — known as the High Representative — and EU governments in the Council to continue supporting Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania, in close coordination with NATO.
That support should include strengthening airspace surveillance, counter-drone capabilities and “situational awareness” — monitoring and understanding potential threats — as well as reinforcing the Baltic states’ capacity to prevent and respond to further incursions.
The Conference of Presidents also called for stronger strategic communication to counter disinformation, mobilisation of EU resources to protect the EU’s eastern flank, and the rejection of fake news that it said threatened European democracy and security.
