The commander of the Estonian Defense Forces, Andrus Merilo, has stated that Russian armed forces are preparing for their next attack, which might not necessarily target Ukrainian territory.
General Merilo and Estonian Defense Minister Hanno Pevkur warned that Russia could attack a NATO country, such as Estonia or Finland.
“Today, it is no longer enough to continue discussions about preparing for war. We must prepare to win the war,” Merilo emphasized.
The commander explained what assessing the threat means in military terms.
“In my opinion, this is a significant step forward. We must be able to stop an enemy attack from the outset if Russia decides to target any of us as its next move in pursuing its strategic objectives,” Merilo stated.
According to Merilo, Finland, the Baltic states, and all European democracies must abandon optimism that is not grounded in reality.
“Russia will not stop at Ukraine. We must consider the expansion of the war as likely. Russia will not stop at Ukraine, regardless of how the war ends,” Merilo assessed.
The danger will increase if Russians feel they have won the war they initiated in Ukraine.
“Ukraine’s territorial integrity must be restored. Any other solution would mean victory for Russia,” he believes.
Merilo highlighted that there are signs Russia is preparing for a new attack.
“Current military activities in Russia show that they are preparing for something. The key is that, whether they perceive the Baltic Sea region or somewhere else as a weak point, we must make their plans unfeasible. We must first convince ourselves, and then the Russians, that we will win the first war. There is no alternative to this,” Merilo stressed.
The general said he is certain that Russia is preparing for new military operations. However, he did not reveal further details about the intelligence information regarding Russia’s preparations.
“It is 100% certain that Russia is preparing for its next move, and Russia will not stop its aggression in Ukraine,” the Estonian general concluded.
