Baltic States Not Fixated on Russian Threat - Latvian Defense Ministry

Andrejs Pantelejevs, the parliamentary secretary of the Latvian Defense Ministry, stated that the Baltic states have been at "hybrid war" over the last three years and accused Russia of strengthening of military presence near the Baltics' borders and demonstration of power.

KRYNICA-ZDROJ (Poland) (Sputnik) — The Baltic states are not fixated on a possibility of being at war with Russia, Andrejs Pantelejevs, the parliamentary secretary of the Latvian Defense Ministry, said Thursday.

"We, the Baltics, do not have an idee fixe to be at war with Russia, vice versa, our goal is to maintain peace," Pantelejevs said at an economic forum in Poland's Krynica Zdroj adding that Litva, Lithuania and Estonia had a common position concerning Russia.

Pantelejevs said that the Baltic states have been at "hybrid war" over the last three years and accused Russia of strengthening of military presence near the Baltics' borders and demonstration of power.

"Last year Russia increased its presence near our borders and demonstrated its power… This is a routine thing for us," the official said.

In early August, Russia Deputy Defense Minister Anatoly Antonov said that Moscow was ready for military consultations with all neighboring countries to avoid incidents on sea and air and address mutual concerns related to military activities in the border areas.