NATO is preparing to strengthen the defence of Estonia and Latvia by assigning an additional army corps to the Baltic region, a move intended to speed up the deployment of allied forces in the event of a war with Russia, Reuters reported on 26 May.

According to two sources familiar with the plan, Germany and the Netherlands have agreed, in coordination with NATO, to assign the German-Netherlands Corps, headquartered in Münster, western Germany, to the defence of Estonia and Latvia.

The move would add another layer to NATO’s defence architecture on its north-eastern flank – one of the alliance’s most exposed regions since Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022.

A second corps to defend Estonia and Latvia faster

At present, NATO forces in Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania and northern Poland fall under the command of Multinational Corps Northeast, based in Szczecin, Poland. That headquarters was established after Poland joined NATO and has since become a central part of the alliance’s command structure for the Baltic region and north-eastern Europe. Its mission includes collective defence under Article 5 and command-and-control responsibilities for NATO’s forces in Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania and Poland.

The planned change would assign a second corps-level headquarters to the region, allowing NATO to divide responsibilities more clearly and reinforce Estonia and Latvia more quickly in a crisis. One military official described the purpose to Reuters as bringing in “mass at speed” – a crucial consideration in the Baltic states, whose geography leaves little room for delay in the early phase of any conflict.

The German-Netherlands Corps, formally known as 1 German-Netherlands Corps, is one of NATO’s High Readiness Force land headquarters. Created in 1995 from German and Dutch army corps structures, it is based in Münster and designed to command multinational land operations for NATO and the European Union. The corps has previously served in NATO Response Force roles and has contributed staff to international operations, including in Afghanistan.

German and Dutch troops during a German-Netherlands Corps exercise. Photo: German-Netherlands Corps.

In wartime, an army corps normally commands several divisions, potentially involving 40,000 to 60,000 troops. In peacetime, however, such formations usually function as a smaller headquarters, with specialist capabilities – including artillery, air defence, engineers, communications and medical support – built around them so that combat units can be brought under command rapidly when required.

The battlegroups already guarding NATO’s Baltic flank

NATO’s current defence of Estonia and Latvia rests on several layers. Since 2017, the alliance has maintained multinational forward-deployed forces in the Baltic states under its enhanced Forward Presence model.

The UK leads NATO’s battlegroup in Estonia, while Canada leads the battlegroup in Latvia; Germany leads the one in Lithuania and the United States has played a central role in Poland. NATO says these battlegroups are intended to deter aggression and demonstrate that an attack on one ally would involve forces from across the alliance from the outset.

Victory Day parade in Estonia, 23 June 2025. Photo: Estonian Defence Forces.

That posture has been expanded since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. Latvia became the first country to scale its NATO forward presence up to brigade level, with NATO Multinational Brigade Latvia established under Canadian leadership. Estonia has also pushed for NATO’s forward defence to move beyond tripwire deterrence towards a model capable of defending allied territory from the first day of a conflict.

The Baltic states are also building up their own national defences. Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania have launched the Baltic Defence Line, a joint initiative to create defensive structures, obstacles and fortifications along their eastern borders. Estonia’s defence ministry says the aim is to ensure military defence “from the very first metre” and to help deter conflict in the region.

The Estonian Defence Forces and the Estonian Centre for Defence Investments are constructing anti-tank ditches along Estonia’s southeastern border as part of the Baltic Defence Line, designed to stop a potential enemy advance from the first metres of the national border. Photo: Estonian Centre for Defence Investments.

Reuters reported that the agreement between Germany and the Netherlands cleared a key obstacle related to the availability of corps-level support troops, including long-range artillery, air defence, engineers and medics. Germany and the Netherlands are expected to work with other allies to build up those capabilities.

The new corps is still taking shape

It remains unclear when the new arrangement will become operational or how many troops would come under the German-Netherlands Corps in a conflict. The Dutch defence ministry told Reuters that the assignment was still being worked out, while the German defence ministry declined to comment, citing ongoing coordination with NATO.

Paratroopers take part in a German-Netherlands Corps military exercise. Photo: German-Netherlands Corps.

NATO officials have warned for years that Russia could rebuild enough conventional military strength to pose a direct threat to allied territory before the end of the decade. Moscow denies any intention to attack NATO and accuses the alliance of inflaming tensions by increasing its military presence near Russia’s borders.

For Estonia and Latvia, the planned command change would be more than a bureaucratic adjustment. It would signal that NATO is preparing not only to deter aggression in the Baltic region, but to fight for it immediately if deterrence fails.