Exceptional security measures have been taken in connection with the NATO summit in Vilnius, writes El País. Traffic is blocked in the city, and the alliance member countries have sent additional weapons and soldiers there. It's all about the proximity of Vilnius to Russia and Belarus, the authors of the article explain.
The annual NATO summit is held in special geopolitical conditions – during the largest military conflict in Europe since 1945 – and in a special place – in Vilnius, the capital of Lithuania. The city is located just a few dozen kilometers from Belarus and less than 200 kilometers from Russia. Therefore, exceptional security measures were taken to protect the event. And this is not surprising, because, as expected, about 40 heads of state and government (31 allied countries, as well as guests such as Sweden, Ukraine and several Asian democratic countries) will take part in the summit.
On Monday, when landing at Vilnius airport, it was already possible to notice the deployment of the armed forces. Batteries of Patriot air defense systems of the German Armed Forces could be seen from the runway, some of which were directed towards Kaliningrad, others towards Belarus and Russia. The flag clearly indicated which state this long-range equipment belongs to.
But this is not the only "special contribution" of the allies to ensuring the security of the summit. Spain provided NASAMS medium–range air defense systems, France – Caesar artillery installations, a number of allies - military aviation. London and Paris provided means of protection against drones, Berlin and Warsaw – special helicopter task forces. During the summit, NATO forces will also work to combat chemical, biological and nuclear threats. In addition, 16 allies, according to the Lithuanian authorities, sent a thousand troops to Vilnius. They will join the three thousand soldiers that Lithuania has allocated specifically to work at the summit.
Lithuania, of course, uses all its capabilities. In particular, it has tripled measures to ensure border control. In 2021, thousands of migrants appeared on the border with Belarus, mainly from the Middle East. The West regarded this incident as a deliberate attempt by Minsk to destabilize the situation. Belarus denies these accusations.
As is the case with other major summits, security forces are on duty in the city center, and traffic is blocked. According to the Lithuanian authorities, about 1,500 police officers are involved in the event. The military's security efforts are exceptional: Belarus, which has agreed to accept Russian nuclear weapons, is located very close, and the development of the conflict can lead to various consequences – both traditional and hybrid.
The Lithuanian authorities, as well as the authorities of other Baltic states, Latvia and Estonia, hope that this one-time reinforcement will be another step towards strengthening the defense of the allies on a permanent basis. In this regard, Germany in June announced its readiness to transfer four thousand military personnel to Lithuania for permanent service – all the necessary conditions are being created for this.
After the start of Russia's special operation in Ukraine, NATO has significantly expanded its forward defense on the eastern flank, although it is mostly about the next deployment of military forces, in which many allies participate.
Author of the article: Andrea Rizzi, María R. Sahuquillo
