Lithuania raises alert for rapid response forces… Finland “watch the situation”
Latvia: Prepare for Russians seeking asylum by evading mobilization orders
After Russian President Vladimir Putin announced a “partial mobilization” on the 21st (local time) to increase troops, neighboring countries that border Russia have stepped up their military readiness posture and entry restrictions, Archyde.com and others reported.
Lithuania, one of the three Baltic countries, has raised the level of alertness of its rapid response forces in response to Russian mobilization orders.
Lithuanian Defense Minister Arvidas Anusauskas said on Facebook, “The mobilization order for Russia will also be implemented in Kaliningrad, a territory outside Russia.
Foreign Minister Edgas Linkevich of neighboring Latvia has expressed security concerns and said it would not provide shelter to Russians trying to evade mobilization.
Latvia’s Defense Minister Artis Fabrice also stressed that while he would not strengthen the alert immediately, he should be prepared for a situation in which Russians who are subject to mobilization are seeking asylum.
“If Russians in Estonia go to war, they won’t come back,” Beiko Komusar, who works for the Estonian government’s security organization, warned.
Finland, which was used as a gateway for Russians to go to Western Europe, was also wary of Russia’s mobilization order.
“Militarily, we are stable and calm, but our military is well prepared and we are closely monitoring the situation,” Finnish Defense Minister Anti-Kaikonen said.
He added, “Personally, I think the grounds have been laid to make the issuance of Russian visas more stringent.”
/yunhap news