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Estonian defense chief reaffirms resolve to build defense line on border with Russia

Hanno Pevkur said that his country would buy ammunition, weapons and equipment

BERLIN, February 11. /TASS/. Estonia will continue erecting a defense line on its border with Russia, despite Russian President Vladimir Putin’s interview with US journalist Tucker Carlson, Estonian Defense Minister Hanno Pevkur told the DPA news agency.

"We will not change our plans simply because Putin sat for an interview with a journalist," he said. "We are currently enhancing our preparedness. And everybody should do so, not only here in Estonia," Pevkur said as he added that his country would also buy ammunition, weapons and equipment.

In his interview with Carlson, released early on February 9, Putin said that Russia has no territorial claims to Poland, Latvia or other countries on the continent. When asked whether Moscow had any territorial claims on the European continent, the Russian leader replied: "It is absolutely out of the question."

On January 19, the Estonian Defense Ministry announced that the three Baltic states had reached an agreement to build a defense line on the border with Russia. Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania will construct anti-mobility defensive installations in the coming years to deter and, if necessary, defend against military threats, the ministry specified. The Estonian Postimees newspaper reported that the republic will build about 600 bunkers on the eastern border for defense against an alleged threat from Russia.