War games in the Baltics

Nato's 'achilles heel' faces uncertain time

- Philip Oltermann

PABRADĖ bout 30km west of the Belarusian border, the enemy's tanks were rolling through the pine forests of Lithuania at speed until a makeshift obstacle made of barbed wire blocked their path. Soldiers carrying bolt cutters jumped out of the armoured vehicle at the front to clear the road.

Then, a deafening bang. In its rush to victory, the advancing party had neglected to check for mines. Luckily, for them, this was merely a dress rehearsal for a showdown between Russia and the North Atlantic alliance.

No live explosives were used in Nato's “Rising Griffin” manoeuvre at the Pabradė military base in western Lithuania. Instead, referees politely informed the tank commanders that their vehicles would have been ripped to shreds. The Russian enemy was being impersonated by American and Norwegian troops.

The western defenders may have notched up a tactical victory against an eastern aggressor on this sunny April morning, yet Nato's security architecture has never looked more fragile, especially when viewed from Lithuania, a country long considered the alliance's achilles heel.