Image source, Getty Images
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- Author, Natasha Lindstaedt
- Author's title, The Conversation*
In 1946, Winston Churchill declared that an “iron curtain” had descended through Europe “from Stettin in the Baltic, to Trieste in the Adriatic.” Now it is the West who is raising the barriers.
Each European nation that has a border with Russia and with its ally Belarus is accelerating plans to build hundreds of kilometers of border fortification to defend against a possible Russian aggression.
The reasons are clear. The European post -war European security structure – which was based on the strengthening of international institutions and commerce, NATO expansion and US military guarantees. – It is eroding.
Finlandia
With a shared border of 1,340 kilometers with Russia, Finland proposed to build a wall in 2023 that could cover 15% of its border, at a cost of more than US $ 400 million and hoping to complete it by 2026.
She was motivated in part by the invasion of Russia to Ukraine in 2022, although also by the increase of Russians fleeing Finland to escape the conscription.
Image source, Getty Images
The Finland government approved a law in July 2023 to build stronger and more high fences, since the previous wooden fence were designed only to avoid the crossing of cattle. Eight border posts were erected (including one north of the Arctic Circle) in addition to greater obstacles at the southern end of the country.
They are even raising defenses in remote areas in the northeast of Finland, where in the not very distant past, a continuous flow of Russians and Finnish went and went regularly through the border to make purchases.
Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania and Poland
And Finland is not the first to do so. In August 2015, Estonia announced that he would build a fence along its eastern border with Russia, after Moscow was attached to Crimea in 2014.
In 2024, the Baltic and Poland countries proposed further to fortify their borders with a defensive wall. It would cover almost 700 kilometers, at a cost of more than US $ 2.7 billion.
Now the construction plans are accelerating as the leaders of the Baltic States are concerned that the possibility of a ceasefire between Ukraine and Russia could mean that Moscow redirects their army against them.
Image source, Getty Images
Dartonia will invest about US $ 350 million in the coming years to reinforce its 386 kilometers with Russia, while Lithuania plans a 48 -kilometer defensive line against a possible Russian invasion. Poland has begun to build a permanent fence on its border with Belarus as part of its defenses against the potential allies of Moscow.
These walls will also be accompanied by other physical barriers such as anti -tank ditches, 15 -ton concrete dragon teeth (which can stop the advance of Russian tanks), huge concrete blocks and pyramids, road obstacles, large metal tangles, mined fields and blocked bridge heads.
Lithuania plans Dragar up to 48 kilometers of ditches, prepare bridges to be bombed and designate trees to fall on the roads when necessary.
Baltic states are also creating more than 1,000 bunkers, loan deposits and provision shelters to increase the protection of 965 kilometers of territory that border Russia. It is expected that the bunkers will be about 35 square meters, with the ability to house up to 10 soldiers and resist Russian artillery attacks.
These Baltic Nations, together with Finland and Poland, also announced in 2025 that they would withdraw from the 1997 International Treaty that prohibits antipersonnel mines, while Lithuania revoked their adhesion to a treaty against the use of cluster pumps. Poland announced in June 2025 that he had added mined fields to his border plans of the so -called “oriental shield.”
Image source, Getty Images
The creation of a drone wall
These border defenses will use early technology and early warning systems and artillery units. Lithuania, Latvia, Estonia, Poland, Finland and Norway gathered in Riga in 2024 to start the construction plans of a “drone wall” of 2,977 kilometers to protect their borders.
This wall of drones will have a network of sensors, composed of radars and electronic war tools to identify and destroy Russian drones. Seconds of detecting an objective crossing the border, there would be a close recognition system of drones.
This project will require a large amount of coordination among the participating countries. Estonias companies are already designing drones that can both detect and neutralize threats along the complex lands in lakes, swamps and forests that cover the border of Russia with Baltic countries.
Historical parallels
Both the cooperation of all countries that have borders with Russia in Europe and the understanding of the land are critical to avoid the failure of the Maginot line, part of a series of defensive barriers that France built in World War II.
In that case, it was presumed that the Germans could not cross the Ardenas forest towards Belgium.
Image source, Getty Images
Although the fortifications of the Maginot line if they forced the Germans to rethink their attack plan, Belgium was vulnerable. Today, European nations are aware that they cannot completely avoid a Russian attack, but may, possibly alter the nature of a Russian invasion. The objective of these barriers is not only deterrent but to try to control the position of any invasion.
If the fire between Ukraine and Russia is announced, the leaders of the Baltic Nations fear that the Kremlin could reposition their troops on their borders.
Border countries with Russia seek to be the best prepared possible to face what Vladimir Putin can do next.
*Natasha Lindstaedt is a professor at the Faculty of Government of the University of Essex, England. His article was published in The Conversation, whose original version you can Read here.
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