Germany and the Netherlands took over command on NATO's eastern flank. Russia closed seven railway crossings the same day

Since July 1, a new tactical headquarters — the 1st German-Dutch Corps — has been commanding NATO's ground forces in Estonia and Latvia. It took over the role previously held by the Multinational Corps Northeast, headquartered in Szczecin, Poland, and is part of a broader shift in which European allies are taking on a greater share of responsibility for the defense of the Baltics. Table.Briefings ↗ On the same day, Russia issued a decree suspending operations at seven railway border crossings with Finland, Estonia, and Latvia — without explanation and without a deadline for how long they are to remain closed. The Moscow Times ↗

Europe takes over command previously held by Poland

The formal handover of command took place on June 30 in the Estonian border town of Valga, with German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius in attendance. The Münster-based 1st German-Dutch Corps now commands the Estonian Division as well as the Multinational Division North in Latvia, and in the event of war it would be able to deploy 40,000 to 60,000 troops to the Baltics. "By adding another highly capable headquarters to NATO's eastern flank, we are improving readiness, strengthening command and control, and enhancing our ability to deter any adversary," Pistorius declared. UNITED24 Media ↗

That this is more than just an administrative change was confirmed by American General Christopher Donahue, commander of NATO's Allied Land Command. According to him, Europe is today taking on more responsibility for defense than at any point in the past 35 years. Context is provided by the German 45th Tank Brigade "Litauen" — the first German brigade permanently stationed abroad since World War II. According to plans, it was to reach around 2,000 German soldiers by the middle of this year, with full capacity of 4,800 troops and 200 civilian staff to be reached by 2027. Bundeswehr ↗

Russia closed seven crossings the same day

By decree effective July 1, the Russian government suspended operations at seven railway crossings — including Pytalovo on the border with Latvia, Pechory near the Estonian border, and Vyborg near the Finnish border. Moscow gave no reason and no date for reopening, and merely instructed its Foreign Ministry to formally notify the governments concerned. iROZHLAS ↗

Since Moscow remains silent about the reason, its motive remains a matter of speculation. Friction on the Latvian-Russian border is nothing new — just recently, a Latvian court sentenced a man to more than five years in prison for spying for Russia. TASR ↗

The Baltics arm from the ground up — and Lithuania changes government

While Berlin and The Hague take over command, the Baltic states themselves are also strengthening their defenses through conscription and volunteers. A record 1,560 volunteers signed up for Latvia's July conscription round, almost double last year's number, even though the state needed only 1,470 conscripts for eleven months of service. LSM ↗ Lithuania is planning for around 5,000 conscripts this year, and Estonia calls up several thousand young people every year. The Defense Post ↗

Meanwhile, Lithuania's government has changed, though its defense course remains unchanged. On June 30, parliament elected Social Democrat Mindaugas Sinkevičius as prime minister by a vote of 80:2, with 28 members absent — the third Social Democratic prime minister of this parliamentary term. The previous prime minister, Inga Ruginienė, resigned after a coalition reshuffle, when the Social Democrats ended cooperation with the populist party Nemuno aušra (Dawn of Nemunas). The new prime minister, previously mayor of Jonava district, now has 15 days to form a cabinet in coordination with President Gitanas Nausėda. Euronews ↗

What this means for Slovakia

Slovakia, too, lies on the Alliance's eastern flank, though not on its Baltic front line. The shift of tactical command onto German-Dutch shoulders is part of a broader trend — Washington is signaling that it wants freer hands in Europe, and European allies are expected to fill the gap. The same question — how much a country spends on defense and whether it can manage this from its own resources — awaits the Slovak government too at the upcoming NATO leaders' summit in the coming days, just as it has taken over the V4 presidency. Bloomberg ↗

What hotinfo is watching

• The outcome of next week's NATO leaders' summit — particularly new defense spending commitments.
• Whether Latvia's July conscription round can rely on volunteers alone, without drawing lots for conscripts.
• How long the Russian railway crossings will remain closed, and whether Moscow will give a reason.
• The impact of a possible reduction in the U.S. military presence in Europe on Baltic defense budgets.
• The formation of Sinkevičius's cabinet by mid-July.