
Balloons and Hybrid War: Baltics Call on NATO and EU to Step In
Nighttime balloon flights carrying illegal cigarettes have forced repeated airport closures in Lithuania, highlighting a growing security challenge along the Belarus border.

Nighttime balloon flights carrying illegal cigarettes have forced repeated airport closures in Lithuania, highlighting a growing security challenge along the Belarus border.

A recent wargame suggests that political hesitation, not military weakness, could allow Russia to act before Europe is ready.

A NATO official said that as Russia and China rapidly expand their arsenals, the alliance will take steps to maintain its defenses.

According to Mark Rutte, European members of NATO may provide security guarantees if a ceasefire is reached.

Iceland must champion a foreign policy of prudence, self-determination, and institutional fidelity—not one that hazards national sovereignty for illusory European integration.

The Danish foreign minister described the situation as improved, noting he feels “slightly more optimistic today than a week ago”.

The NATO chief’s remarks in Brussels drew a frosty response from European leaders, with France rejecting his claims that the continent is too weak to stand on its own.

“If anyone thinks here … that the European Union or Europe as a whole can defend itself without the U.S., keep on dreaming. You can’t,” Rutte said.

Greenland controversy has focused NATO and European Commission politicians—with British and French ministers—on the future of the region.

Mette Frederiksen said NATO allies agreed on the need for a permanent presence in the Arctic, including Greenland.