Poland and the Baltic states call on the EU to build a defence line along the border with Russia and Belarus

Poland, Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania have called on the European Union to build a defence line along the border with Russia and Belarus to protect the EU from military threats and other harmful actions by Moscow.

In particular, the leaders of the four countries, each of which shares a border with either Russia or Belarus, prepared a letter to the EU president detailing the scope and cost of the project. The EU countries will be asked to provide political and financial support.

"The creation of a defence infrastructure system along the EU's external border with Russia and Belarus will meet the acute and urgent need to protect the EU from military and hybrid threats," the letter says.

The letter also states that the defence line could be built in coordination with NATO and its military requirements.

Some EU officials estimate the cost of building this defence line along the EU's 700-kilometre border with Russia and Belarus at around €2.5 billion.

U.S. and allied intelligence officials have noticed an increase in low-level sabotage operations in Europe, which appear to be part of Russia's strategy to undermine support for Ukraine.

Background. Earlier it was reported that Poland would spend more than €2 billion on digging trenches along the border with Russia. According to Tusk, Poland occupies a strategic position on the eastern flank of NATO and feels responsible for the security of the European Union.