Ankara: A panel titled "Why Narva Is Not Next: Examining Assumptions About Baltic Vulnerability" was held on Tuesday as part of the 'Allies in Ankara' program, organized in cooperation with Trkiye's Communications Directorate, the Munich Security Conference (MSC), and the Foundation for Political, Economic and Social Research (SETA), within the framework of the 36th NATO summit. The panel, moderated by the Baltic International Centre for Security Policy, took place at Ankara Palas.

According to Anadolu Agency, Latvian Foreign Minister Baiba Braze, Lithuania's Permanent Representative to NATO Darius Jauniskis, and Martin Roger, political director at the Estonian Foreign Ministry, attended as speakers. Braze emphasized that Russia is not prepared to directly challenge NATO but is willing to create 'false dilemmas,' highlighting the importance of maintaining focus on security and defense. She stressed the need for NATO to invest internally in domestic security, borders, and intelligence cooperation. Braze also mentioned exposure to external interference and disinformation operations aimed at undermining support for Ukrainians. She noted that people in Latvia, regardless of their ethnic backgrounds, are united in their desire to defend the country.

Lithuania's Permanent Representative to NATO, Jauniskis, expressed concerns regarding Belarus, stating it is not seen as 'separate' from Russia due to its dependence on Russian energy, money, and support. He highlighted issues like meteorological balloons entering Lithuania from Belarus, which also carry smuggled cigarettes, posing serious security challenges. Jauniskis accused Russia and Belarus of spreading false propaganda about Lithuania's history.

Estonian official Martin Roger focused on cybersecurity, pointing out that state institutions are actively combating this threat and public resilience has improved. Roger assured that Narva, Estonia's city on the Russian border, is not a target for Moscow, attributing this to the effective deterrence strategies established both nationally and with allies. He emphasized Estonia's significant investments in border security and noted that 81 percent of Estonians believe in resisting any potential attack.