Support The Moscow Times!

Estonia Wants Permanent NATO Bases to Protect From Russian Threat

Estonian President Toomas Hendrik Ilves speaks at a news conference after talks with Norwegian Prime Minister Erna Solberg (not pictured), after arriving for a one-day state visit, in Oslo, Norway.

Estonia wants NATO to set up permanent bases on its territory to defend against neighbor Russia and ease fears that the Baltic state could be the next flashpoint after Ukraine, President Toomas Hendrik said on Tuesday.

Hendrik, visiting Oslo on the eve of a visit to Estonia by U.S. President Barack Obama in the run-up to a NATO summit in Wales, said "yes" when asked at a news conference if he wanted permanent NATO bases in Estonia.

"We should not have NATO with two-tier countries: with NATO permanent bases and without. This is a wrong signal to send to the potential aggressor," he said.

Read more