The Berlin Wall fell in 1989
Western European countries bordering Russia want to be as prepared as possible for Vladimir Putin to do, and are building hundreds of miles of fortified borders and all types of barriers to defend themselves from any Russian aggression.
In 1946, shortly after the end of World War II, the then British Prime Minister Winston Churchill stated in a memorable that a “Ferro curtain“I had descended upon Europe” from Stettin, in the Baltic, to Trieste, in the Adriatic. “
The expression has become famous to describe the range of east European countries, integrated in the Warsaw Pactwhich formed a geographical, political and military barrier between Western Europe and the Soviet Union.
The expression began to fall into disuse in the late 1980s, with the fall of the Berlin Wall, 1989, the democratic revolutions in the countries of Eastern Europe and, finally, with the dissolution of the Soviet Unionem 1991.
Today, the term “Ferro curtain”Returned to the order of the day. This time, however, it is the West that is lifting barriers along its borders.
All European countries bordering Russia and with their ally Belarus are accelerating plans to build hundreds of kilometers of fortified bordersin order to defend themselves from any Russian aggression.
The reasons are clear. THE Post-War European safety framework – Set about reinforcing international and trade institutions, the expansion of NATO and US military guarantees – is being undermined.
Finland
Finland, which shares 1,340 kilometers of Russia bordering, announced in 2023, which covers about 15% of this border, with a cost of over $ 400 million (about 342 million euros). should be completed by 2026.
The decision was motivated partly by the Russian invasion of Ukrainein 2022, but also for the increase in the number of Russians to flee to Finland to escape military recruitment.
In 2023, the Finnish government passed a law to Raise higher fences and resistant, since the previous, in woodhad been conceived only for prevent cattle passage.
Eight border stations were set up, including north of the Arctic Polar Circle, complemented with higher obstacles in the far south of the country.
Even in remote areas From the northeast of Finland are being erected defenses, where, until recently, the regular movement of Russians and Finns for shopping was a daily reality.
Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania and Poland
Finland was not the first. In August 2015, the Estonia announced the construction of a sealing along its border Oriental with Russia, after the Annexation of Crimea by Moscow in 2014.
In 2024, the Baltic States and Poland proposed to further reinforce their borders with a defensive wall. The project covers 698 kilometers and will cost more than 2 billion pounds.
The plans and the works are now fastersince the Baltic leaders are afraid that a possible ceasefire between Ukraine and Russia allows Moscow to redirect military forces against them.
A Latvia will invest about 300 million euros In the coming years to reinforce its 386 kilometers of border with Russia; the Lithuania Plan a defensive line of 48 kilometers against a possible Russian invasion. THE Poland He began to erect a permanent prohibition on his Belarus border as part of his defense against the eventual allies of Moscow.
These barriers will be accompanied by other physical obstacles, such as anti -tank ditches, “Dragon Teeth” of Concrete with 15 tons, capable of locking the advance of Russian tanks, large blocks and concrete pyramidsroad blockages, massive metal gates, minined fields and headwaters of blocked bridges.
Lithuania also plans up to 48 kilometers of drainage ditches, explosion -prepared bridges and trees marked to fall on the roads in case of need.
Baltic States are also building But millet bunkersdeposits of ammunition and supply shelters, to protect the 965 km from territory that confine with Russia. The bunkers will have about 35 m2ability to welcome up to ten soldiers and resistance to Russian artillery bombardment.
“Tug of Minas”
Recently, five of the six NATO countries bordering Russia or Belarus – Finland, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania and Poland – announced the departure of the Ottawa Conventiontreated in 1997 by 164 countries that prohibits the use, production and transfer of antipersonal mines.
Norway, which shares about 200 kilometers of border with Russia, is the only country that has so far remains in the agreement.
The departure of the Ottawa Convention aims to allow these countries to create a controversial “defensive curtain” on their borders with Russia and Belarus: a “”.
The five countries bet on a maximum deterrent strategy: in combination with the other border security measures, the goal is to inflict the eventual invader the greater number of losses as possible, in the shortest time – To dissuade Moscow from a prolonged war.
A “DRONEL WORD”
In addition to the traditional defensive infrastructures that are being assembled, these border defenses will resort to latest technologyS, early warning systems and artillery units.
In 2024, Lithuania, Latvia, Estonia, Poland, Finland and Norway announced plans for the construction of a Drone Wall, a “” from Norway to Poland with 2,975 kilometers designed to protect their borders.
Drone Wall is not just a name. Its creators want to develop a system that can permanently detect and neutralize threats.
This wall will have a sensor networkcomposed of radars and electronic war systems to identify and destroy Russian drones. Seconds after the detection of a target crossing the border, a close recognition system will take action with drones.
The shield will try Avoid the threats of hybrid war employed by Russia in Ukraine, as DRONES INCURSIONS, GPS INTERFERENCES or clandestine activities at the borders.
The project will require great cooperation between participating countries. Estonial companies are already developing drones capable of detecting and neutralizing threats on complex lakes, swamps and forests that cover the Russian border with the Baltic States.
The initiative has no date of completion, but as its prosecutors say, it could be built in just 12 months.
Historical parallels
The Soviet “iron curtain” was not the first major defensive line erected in Europe in the twentieth century.
In the 1930s, France built through its borders a set of defensive barriers, which became known by the name of Maginot Linein order to prevent a possible invasion of Germany.
At the time, the French assumed that the Germans could not cross the Ardenas forest in Belgium. The Maginot line failed catastrophic.
Although the maginot line fortifications led the Germans to change the attack plans, Belgium was vulnerableand during World War II Nazi troops passed through the Ardenas easily, on their way to Paris.
Today, cooperation between all countries that border Russia and knowledge of the land are crucial to Avoid the errors of the Maginot line.
European nations know that cannot completely avoid a Russian attackbut can possibly comnit your nature. The purpose of these barriers is simultaneously determine and try to control the place of a possible invasion.
If a ceasefire is announced between Ukraine and Russia, the Baltic leaders fear that Kremlin can Reposition troops on its borders. And at that time, the neighboring countries of Russia want to be as prepared as possible for what Vladimir Putin can do next.
