The Nordic Countries and the European Security and Defence Policy

BALTIC PERSPECTIVES 375establishment whose uniformed and civilian personnel outnumber the armedforces. 49 Second, the Russian military is not perceived in the Baltic states asthoroughly impotent: although its equipment is elderly and rusty, Russia’s armyis still the biggest in Europe. With the Russian economy having overcome itscrisis and with oil prices soaring, the Russian military is getting new injectionsof cash. While Western defence forces are facing budgetary reductions, theRussian defence budget increases annually. 50 Finnish estimates, quoted particularlyoften in Estonia, conclude that the Russian defence budget has increasedsince the year 2000. 51 Although Russian gross domestic product may still be atthe level of a South American country, as it rises more funds will be availablefor Russia’s military procurement. 52Third, although the Russian forces overall may be ageing, some priority areasfor military development are maintained. The one that is particularly worryingfor Russia’s Baltic neighbours is the Leningrad military district. 53 A concentrationof resources on units at permanent high readiness, such as motorizedinfantry brigades and air regiments, is taking place in this region. ‘Troops stationedthere retain the capabilities to use tactical nuclear weapons’, 54 states theFinnish Security and Defence Policy, a document which is respected in Estoniaas expressing concerns more freely than Estonia can. 5549 Saranov, V., ‘Critical mass: there are too many armed formations in Russia’, Versiya, no. 47(11–17 Dec. 2001), CDI Russia Weekly, no. 184 (14 Dec. 2001), URL .Citing Saranov, McDermott (note 44) states that the security forces include ‘the Internal Troops (