For just under a decade, the Baltic states have actively participated in Operation Saber Strike, an annual series of multinational tactical exercises led by U.S. Army Europe (USAREUR) to enhance cooperation within the alliance and illustrate the combined capabilities on the Eastern flank.
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Many armed conflicts have started due to miscalculation when an aggressor has assessed that he has more to gain than to lose from using military force.
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Sven Sakkov, Director of ICDS, considered US President Donald Trump’s decision to cancel a state visit due to Denmark’s refusal to sell Greenland very impolite. According to him, this kind of behaviour fits into the 19th century.
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ICDS Research Fellow Kalev Stoicescu wrote an extensive article to the magazine Sõdur (Soldier) on the 20th anniversary of Vladimir Putin’s emergence to power in Russia.
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Estonia’s role in the world is not only related to our geographical location, instead, our future is increasingly shaped by global developments. Who will become a global superpower? What will be the position of Europe in the new world order – and Estonia’s place in that Europe? How should we face the new threats surrounding us? Is NATO the only answer?
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ICDS research fellow Kalev Stoicescu wrote in an opinion article in the Estonian daily Postimees about NATO – a collective defence “pensioner” at 70 years of age – being in an excellent shape. He explained the reasons why NATO has successfully survived the end of the Cold War, and continues to transform and strengthen its role and capabilities.
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Russian military authorities announced on 7 August that a permanent helicopter base will become operational on the Suursaar island, in the Gulf of Finland, very close to the coasts and territorial waters of Estonia and Finland.
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Donald Trump should realise that giving a military strike on Iran will not bring Tehran to the negotiating table and creates risk for outbreak of a major regional conflict, writes Kalev Stoicescu, a Research Fellow at the International Centre for Defence and Security and columnist in daily Postimees on July 19.
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“Judging by the Kremlin’s deeds (not its different rhetoric and narratives), Russia does not wish to accept anything less on its western and south western peripheries (the Baltic and Black Sea theatres) than clear military dominance,” Kalev Stoicescu, Research Fellow at the International Centre for Defence and Security, writes in his commentary in The Baltic Times 2019 Summer Magazine.
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“On a day-to-day basis, NATO air policing can react to airspace intrusions or violations of flight rules that Estonia would be unable to deal with alone — this is important for preserving territorial integrity,” Tony Lawrence, a research fellow at the Tallinn-based International Centre for Defence Security think tank, told Defense News.
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