By Simas Prašmantas, LRT.lt.

Growing fears about a potential attack against the Baltic states or Poland benefit Russia, which seeks to reduce Western support for Ukraine, Baltic experts told LRT.lt.

In early August, Lithuanian Defence Minister Robert Kaunas warned that Russia was considering possible provocations in the Baltic region, including so-called false-flag operations targeting the region’s critical infrastructure using Ukrainian drones and blaming Kyiv for the attacks.

Poland’s Foreign Minister Radosław Sikorski has repeatedly warned of an identical scenario in his country.

The warnings should be viewed in the broader context of Russia’s efforts to reduce Western support for Ukraine, according to Erkki Tori, Director of the National Security and Defence Coordination at the Estonian Government Office.

“Since the beginning of this year, the Russians have been looking for ways to tip the balance back in their favour. One of the things they have been working on – and they have been trying to do this since 2022 – is reducing Western support for Ukraine,” Tori told LRT.lt.

Read more: LRT.LT