TALLINN: Estonia's centre-left coalition is poised to return to power Sunday in an election marked by nerves in the NATO member over the military resurgence of Russia, and a pro-Kremlin party backed by a sizeable Russian minority.
Moscow's annexation of Crimea last year and its meddling in eastern Ukraine has galvanised the EU including this eurozone member of 1.3 million people, a quarter of whom are ethnic-Russian.
Military manoeuvres by Moscow on Estonia's border days ahead of the vote are further stoking deep concerns in Europe that the Kremlin could attempt to destabilise countries which were in its orbit during Soviet times.
"The current security situation will stay with us for a long period of time," Reform party Prime Minister Taavi Roivas said about Europe's worst standoff with Russia since the Cold War.
"This is not just bad weather, this is climate change."
The 35-year-old premier, the EU's youngest, is part of a chorus of Baltic leaders demanding more NATO troops, hardware and extra air patrols to counter Moscow's heightened military overtures in the vulnerable region.
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