Estonia assured on Wednesday that it was “ready” to close its border with Russia following a similar move by Finland, with Tallinn citing a potential threat from its Russian neighbor.
• Also read: Finland wants to completely close its border with Russia
Estonian Foreign Minister Margus Tsahkna said the situation at the Finnish border, where there has been a surge in the number of illegal migrants in recent weeks, was “an obvious hybrid attack by Russia.”
Tsahkna added that the Baltic state was “ready to close its border with Russia and defend itself against any hybrid attack.”
Estonia, a former Soviet republic, is now a staunch defender of Ukraine following the Russian invasion.
“This is further evidence that Russia is not only fighting in Ukraine, but also poses a threat to other countries with its hybrid attacks,” Tsahkna said.
The Estonian government statement added that ministers said at a ministerial meeting in Brussels that they were ready to help Helsinki if needed.
On Tuesday, Finland announced the closure of its last border crossing with Russia, with which it shares a 1,340-kilometer border.
The Finnish and Estonian borders with Russia are the external borders of the EU and NATO.