DISINFO: Rail Baltica is built for the purposes of NATO
SUMMARY
The Rail Baltica railroad is built in the Baltic States for purposes of North-Atlantic alliance. Without NATO, the purpose of this project is absolutely not clear.
RESPONSE
A recurring pro-Kremlin disinformation narrative targetting NATO's presence in the Baltic states.
The Rail Baltica is a project of the European Union (not NATO). It is part of EU's North Sea-Baltic TEN-T corridor. The Rail Baltica is financed by the EU as well as by Lithuania, Latvia, and Estonia. It envisages a continuous rail link from Tallinn (Estonia) to Warsaw (Poland), going via Riga (Latvia) and Kaunas (Lithuania). The Baltic route should be completed by 2025; the link to Warsaw by 2030.
Rail Baltica will be an important catalyst of continued economic development of the Baltic States, ensuring speedy transportation of passengers and cargo. At the same time, Rail Baltica will play a role in improving military mobility in the region. However it is a civil, not a military project, and it is misleading to portray it as serving primarily NATO needs.
See similar narratives about Rail Baltica: “Rail Baltica” is a measure to build up military infrastructure in the Baltic States, The Rail Baltica Project is West’s preparation for war with Russia in 2026.