RPT - Estonia's New Subsonic Missiles From Israel Not 'Game Changer' In Baltic Region - Expert

BRUSSELS (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 14th October, 2021) Estonia's standing in NATO and the Baltic Region will not be changed by the acquisition of Israeli subsonic Blue Spear missiles, which was supposed to distract Estonians from the economic downturn, Xavier Moreau, a French expert of arms and geopolitics with the StratPol think tank, told Sputnik.

The Estonian-Israeli missile deal was signed last Wednesday.

"The acquisition by Estonia of Israeli 'Blue Spear' subsonic anti-ship missiles is not a military game changer in the Baltic region. Tiny Estonia does not play a major role in NATO and this cruise missile won't change it," Moreau said.

The expert argued that by purchasing the advanced precision weapons the Estonian government was attempting to distract the attention of citizens from the economic slump that was caused by the cut of trade relations with neighboring Russia.

"But this news about a new missile is mainly for domestic use, in Estonia.

The Estonian government hides from the population the heavy economic downturn that the disappearance of trade with Russia entails. Militarily these missiles are anecdotal, but on the other hand, losing the Russian oil export and container traffic through Tallinn harbour is significant," Moreau said.

Historically, the Baltic ports of Klaipeda, Riga, and Tallinn were transit points in a supply chain from Russia, but now the situation has changed. The Baltic states are losing millions of Euros, as Russia has invested in diversifying the ports it can use for transporting oil, gas, and container goods � for example, the terminal of Nord Stream 2, which can receive ships of over 150,000 tons, Moreau said.

The expert pointed out that Latvia, Lithuania, and Estonia have traditionally decried the "threat" emanating from the Russian exclave Kaliningrad as a pretext to get financial aid from the European Union and NATO.