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Russia is trying to unsettle the Baltic states — oddly, the Ukrainians are helping

Former Economist editor Edward Lucas warns that the Baltics' real problem isn't a future Russian attack, but current disinformation campaigns.

2 min readUpdated:00:37 CEST
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Russia is trying to unsettle the Baltic states — oddly, the Ukrainians are helping

European Parliament Report Details Russian Information Operations Against Baltic States

Russia is conducting information operations to unsettle the Baltic states, with Ukrainians helping to counter these efforts, according to a report from Euobserver on March 31, 2026.

The report states that Russia is trying to unsettle the Baltic states through a campaign focused on division and influence rather than immediate military threat. "The real problem for the Baltics is not an unlikely Russian military attack in the future, but the divide-and-rule information operation going on right now," said Edward Lucas, a former editor at The Economist.

Ukrainian Involvement in Counter-Operations

A notable aspect of the situation is the involvement of Ukrainian actors. The Euobserver report notes that Ukrainians are helping counter Russia's efforts to unsettle the Baltic states. This assistance comes from a nation directly engaged in a military conflict with Russia, providing practical experience in countering Moscow's hybrid tactics.

The operations target societal cohesion within the three Baltic nations—Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania—which are NATO and EU members bordering Russia. The Russian strategy leverages information channels to amplify internal divisions and undermine public confidence in institutions.

Source and Context

The assessment is based on reporting from Euobserver, published on March 31, 2026. The information presents a view of ongoing geopolitical friction in the region, highlighting a non-kinetic dimension of pressure where Ukrainian expertise is being applied to bolster Baltic defenses.

Why this matters: These operations represent a persistent threat to the social and political stability of NATO's eastern flank, testing alliance cohesion through means below the threshold of armed conflict.

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