Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania have unveiled plans to establish the joint Military Mobility Area, or MMA, to enable the free movement of military equipment and personnel across the Baltic States.
During a meeting in Tallinn, the capital of Estonia, defense ministers from the three nations signed a letter of intent for the formation of the Baltic MMA.
Why Are Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania Forming the MMA?
According to Hanno Pevkur, Estonia’s minister of defense, the MMA will deepen cooperation between neighbors.
“This is important in strengthening our defense posture, with the ultimate goal being to create a ‘military Schengen zone’ across Europe,” he added.
Members of the European Parliament have also previously called for a military Schengen, which will remove internal borders and reduce administrative and financial barriers for military movement across the European Union.
Latvian Minister of Defense Andris Spruds also shared that synchronizing forces will strengthen the NATO border and promote stability in Europe.
Robertas Kaunas, minister for defense for Lithuania, stated bureaucratic borders must not slow down defense in times of crisis.
What Is the Baltic Defense Line?
Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania are also establishing the Baltic Defense Line to strengthen security on their borders with Russia and Belarus.
Pevkur provided an update on Estonia’s construction of bases, barriers and storage sites as part of the defense line.
“To date, all primary containment equipment has been delivered and stored. We have selected a standard bunker and tested it in the south-eastern part of the country, with a view to launching a major call for tenders this year,” the minister shared. “We will also continue to build a significant number of containment ditches in 2026. The Defense Line has become an essential element in ensuring the security of the eastern flank of NATO and the EU.”