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Helsinki Commission hearing urges firmer deterrence on NATO’s eastern flank
Summary
At a U.S. Helsinki Commission hearing, Estonia’s foreign minister and two U.S. security experts warned of a sustained Russian ‘shadow war’ including airspace violations, sabotage and information operations and recommended stronger allied posture, targeted sanctions and steps to raise Moscow’s costs.
WASHINGTON — Lawmakers and security experts at a hearing of the Commission on Security and Cooperation in Europe (the U.S. Helsinki Commission) on Friday warned that recent Russian incursions and a broader campaign of sabotage and information operations amount to a coordinated effort to probe and weaken NATO’s eastern flank.
Sen. Roger Wicker, the panel’s presiding officer, opened the session by cataloging recent violations and warning that deterrence depends on "effective and decisive responses." Wicker cited recent U.S. moves — including a Pentagon plan to reduce rotational forces in Romania — as steps that could weaken allied credibility and stressed pending legislation, the Eastern Flank Strategic Partnership Act, aimed at prioritizing assistance to frontline allies.
Margus Sakhna, identified in the transcript as Estonia’s minister of foreign affairs, described a string of incidents he said demonstrated a sustained hybrid campaign. He told commissioners that on September 19…
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