Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov launched a verbal attack on Poland and the Baltic states in remarks that validate the region's long-standing security concerns about Russia.
"There are countries with which we have had, let's say, a deficit of friendly feelings for many centuries," Peskov said in comments reported by Estonian media. "If you take Poland, for example. We really have serious problems with Poland. And we really have problems with the Baltics. They constantly fear us for something, demonize us, and everyone who comes to power there simply begins to horribly hate Russia and Russians."
The Kremlin official's characterization prompted immediate reaction in the three Baltic states—Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania—which have consistently warned Western allies about Russian intentions since regaining independence from the Soviet Union in 1991.
In the Baltics, as on NATO's eastern flank, geography and history create an acute awareness of security realities. The three nations' experience under Soviet occupation—marked by mass deportations, political repression, and suppression of national identity—shapes their approach to Russian relations today.
Peskov's comments come as Baltic leaders have advocated for increased NATO presence in the region following Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022. All three nations have consistently exceeded NATO's 2% defense spending target, with Estonia dedicating over 3% of GDP to defense in recent years.
The three Baltic states recently announced joint defense procurement worth €2 billion, including air defense systems and ammunition stockpiles, to strengthen their collective defensive capabilities. Their coordinated approach leverages small size as an advantage—joint procurement reduces costs while strengthening interoperability with NATO allies.
The Kremlin spokesperson's rhetoric inadvertently reinforces Baltic arguments that their security concerns about Russia are well-founded rather than irrational hostility. Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania maintain that their policies reflect legitimate defense of sovereignty based on historical experience and current Russian military activity near their borders.
"Interesting why all of Russia's neighbors hate them so much," one Estonian outlet commented in response to Peskov's remarks, capturing widespread sentiment in the region about Russian failure to acknowledge legitimate grievances.
The three nations continue to coordinate closely on security matters while maintaining their distinct national identities. Estonia has emerged as a digital governance leader within Europe, Latvia hosts NATO's Strategic Communications Centre of Excellence, and Lithuania has positioned itself as a strong voice for Ukraine within the European Union.
Their shared Soviet experience and position on NATO's eastern frontier create common strategic interests, even as each pursues its own diplomatic and economic priorities. All three nations joined both the EU and NATO in 2004, anchoring their security and prosperity in Western institutions.
Peskov's comments follow a pattern of Russian officials attributing Baltic security policies to irrational Russophobia rather than acknowledging historical context or legitimate concerns. Russian state media regularly portrays the three nations as "Russophobic" and questions their statehood legitimacy, rhetoric that Baltic officials say demonstrates precisely why strong defense capabilities and NATO integration remain essential.
The timing of Peskov's remarks coincides with intensified Russian information operations and military activity near Baltic borders. All three nations have documented increased Russian military flights near their airspace, cyber probing of government systems, and coordinated disinformation campaigns targeting their populations.
For Baltic leaders, the Kremlin spokesperson's hostile rhetoric validates their argument that Russia has not reconciled with their independence and continues to view the region as within its sphere of influence. This understanding shapes their consistent advocacy for enhanced NATO presence and collective defense measures that some Western European allies initially viewed as alarmist.
The three nations' frontline experience as former Soviet republics provides insight into Russian strategic thinking that Western Europe is increasingly recognizing as prescient following Moscow's actions in Ukraine. Baltic warnings about Russian intentions, once dismissed as Cold War thinking, now inform European security policy.
