‘The best defence against a possible surprise attack by Russia would be NATO units already based in countries on a scale sufficient to prevent Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania from being overrun’, writes Martin Hurt, Deputy Director of International Centre of Defence and Security (ICDS). After the occupation of Crimea in 2014, NATO ramped up its military presence in new member states, including Estonia. The first deployments were a temporary measures, intended to reassure the population and show Moscow that the alliance looks out for its members. The objective was not to increase deterrence in countries bordering on Russia (the forces deployed are too small to do that). He says, ‘The recently stated intention to stockpile a brigade’s-worth of equipment in six Central and Eastern European countries is a positive step toward increasing NATO’s credibility.’