WikiLeaks reveals Nato plans to defend Baltics against Russia

Nato has drawn up plans to defend Baltic nations against Russia, diplomatic cables released by WikiLeaks have shown. An existing defence plan covering Poland was extended to include Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania said the leaked correspondence, released by a British newspaper.

Reuters/Yves Herman

Officials in the United States were aware of the sensitivity surrounding the plans and asked their Baltic counterparts to keep the plans quiet.

The plans included nine Nato divisions and ports in Poland and Germany were identified for the receipt of naval assault forces, according to an article by the Guardian newspaper based on the leaked cables.

It is thought that the plans were endorsed at a summit in Lisbon last month.

Despite US efforts to “reset” relations with Russia, military officials agreed in January to the policy dubbed Eagle Guardian.

Cables cited by the New York Times said that events in Georgia in 2008 had “dominated” discussion in the Baltic states.

Following Russia’s 2008 war with Georgia the feeling in countries like Latvia was that it could “easily be them”.