War Games in Latvia: The scenarios that cannot be imagined one day become

A few years ago, the Canadian scenario and other NATO forces in Latvia may seem unimaginable – it even reduces the non -trained eye.

Within a mud-filled training scope that gets winter a few tens of kilometers outside Riga, approximately 3400 soldiers from 14 countries-under the leadership of a Canadian commander-Kif Sejeun brigade finally defense of the Latvian capital.

The STARK scenario opened 30 days in a virtual invasion of the Baltic State by one of the warring neighbors in the name of a fake that can be forgotten.

Everyone knew that the “enemy” was Russia, but no one spoke the name.

The exercise was revealed in the same week that relations between the United States and Ukraine were thrown in the next deep freezing Single screaming match President Donald Trump, Vice President JD Vance and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy in the Oval Office.

The idea that Washington is closely moving to the orbit of Moscow feels very much in Latvia. The country witnessed Russian bases in the Baltic – which was once emptied by forces and equipment due to the Ukraine war – which are re -stored and stored.

All three Baltic countries – Latvia, Estonia and Lithuania – have increased their borders with Russia. But there is tension on whether the United States will honor the Holy Cup of the NATO Treaty, Article 5, which provides for the attack on one member is an attack on everyone.

In a recent and exclusive interview, Latvi Defense Minister Andres Spodes told a recent and exclusive interview that his country wants to see more NATO forces on the ground and more pre -military equipment in the small nation for the necessary reinforcements that will be brought during the crisis.

“There is an area, an area, up to (larger), and a stronger presence,” Spruds said in an interview, which was broadcast on Saturday. CBC Radio the home.

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The Western Military Alliance organized the defense of Latvia under a multinational department, which includes the Canadian brigade. The division is led by the Danish brigade. Jette albinus, who told CBC News in a recent interview that the ceasefire – or a full peace settlement in Ukraine – would allow Russia to turn its full attention to the Baltic region.

In mid -February. The Danish Institute for International Studies has published a warning report that Russia is likely to continue its military accumulation in both Baltic and the Arctic areas.

Albinos says that the intelligence service in Denmark has valued the peace in Ukraine – despite welcoming and necessary – will raise the level of threats on the borders with the Baltic countries.

“There is no doubt that the threat here will rise,” Albinos said.

“It makes me put my arms and restore better … You have to show them that you are ready to fight and defend Latvia and Baltik.”

Transfer of forces in a crisis

The question that led to a haunted for military planners in NATO since the coalition forces were first deployed in Baltic in 2017, is whether the units can be strengthened and reinforced in a crisis.

The current plan for defense in Latvia Canada, Denmark and Sweden see additional forces to the country. The question is: Can they get there with Russian submarines in the Baltic Sea, and perhaps closed airspace?

Albinos said it’s more confident that the sea passages will remain open now after Sweden and Finland have joined NATO.

Other Allied leaders said there were also large -scale plans to reinforce the Baltic via the railway system.

His focus was to make sure that the forces that were already deployed are able to adhere to and fight in the state of invasion.

However, he said, Sweden – like Canada – in the process of rebuilding its army.

“Am I confident? I would like to say that,” Rosedal told CBC News. “We will have problems to bring a great power (to Latvia) because we are building our National Defense Forces, and we are talking.”

But he added that the issue of reinforcements is something his political and military leadership in his country is in a better situation of the answer.

The Canadian army commander, General Mike Wright, who was in Latvia for the exercise, said he was “satisfied” with the level of preparations by the Canadian brigade, who is leading him, and indicated that the Germans had a brigade in Lithuania and the United Kingdom leading one separate in Estonia.

Wright said: “We are not alone.” “We are part of this deterrence and collective defense on the eastern NATO wing.”

Last year, the European Policy Analysis Center (CEPA) studied how the war in the Baltic will look and how the geology will play.

The report concluded that Russia may be able to achieve rapid gains in the Baltic region, even with NATO reinforcements, and that within three days of the opening of hostilities can lead to blackmail to inform “NATO that any attempt to re -employ Olias in New Russia will lead to a nuclear response.”

Given the Trump administration threats to gain Greenland “in one way or another” and may include Canada through economic power, the CEPA-like the war game in Latvia-is not very far away.