Wednesday, the presidents of Estonia (Alar Karis), Latvia (Egils Levits), Lithuania (Gitanas Nauseda), and Poland (Andrzej Duda) paid a visit to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky on his home turf.

The meeting comes as the tempo of the war has slowed a bit as the Russians attempt to refit and resupply the formations that were in action around Kiev and Kharkiv for some six weeks before being pulled out. It also comes as NATO countries are becoming more aggressive and less fearful of their support for Ukraine. Poland, in particular, is on the leading edge of action as the primary supply route for Ukraine aid. Poland has taken the lead in expelling Russian spies (149 Russian Spies and Diplomats Sent Packing After War Crimes Revelations Brings Total Russians Expelled to 309) and in providing tanks and infantry fighting vehicles to Ukraine. The 100 tanks that have been shipped are qualitatively superior to the tanks of the same model used by Russia in Ukraine.

Finally confirmed that #Poland has dispatched reportedly 100 #T72 #tanks (some with upgraded passive IR sights) to #Ukraine. Equivalent to a full tank brigade/three battalions. Wonder if US has arranged faster M1 backfill… Also BWP-1 IFVs, probably same as Ukrainian BMP-1s. https://t.co/ggPFBGR8uQ

— Sebastien Roblin (@sebastienroblin) April 13, 2022

Lithuania announced that it would start training Ukrainian troops in Lithuania (NATO Strategy Shifts From Ukraine Must Be Defended to Russia Must Lose). This is a similar position to that just announced by the UK, whose prime minister, Boris Johnson, was in Kiev last weekend (Boris Johnson Pays Surprise Visit to Kiev and Volodymyr Zelensky as the World Wonders Where Is Joe Biden).

Estonia has made itself the target of another proposed “denazification” mission by Russia because of its insistence that all Estonian citizens speak Estonian and are competent in the basic facts of Estonian history and relabeling the Russo-centric May 9 celebration of the end of World War II into a day commemorating the war in Ukraine (Latvia Becomes the Newest Target for Russia’s Denazification Program).

The Baltic States have all ceased imports of Russian gas. Poland will follow suit before the end of 2022.

The main public message sent was solidarity with Ukraine in the face of Russian war crimes.

Together with presidents of Estonia 🇪🇪 @AlarKaris, Latvia 🇱🇻 @valstsgriba, Lithuania 🇱🇹 @GitanasNauseda & Poland 🇵🇱 @AndrzejDuda visited #Borodianka. Witnessed the large-scale destruction in the villages & towns of Kyiv region. War crimes of russia must be punished. 🇺🇦 will win! pic.twitter.com/iZPF379qsM

— Denys Shmyhal (@Denys_Shmyhal) April 13, 2022

🇺🇦 The Presidents of Poland, Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania have travelled to Kyiv and will meet with President Zelenskyy.

A spokesperson for Estonia's president said the meeting would focus on ways to assist civilians, the Ukrainian military and investigations into war crimes. https://t.co/pJH57UY6jX

— TLDR News EU (@TLDRNewsEU) April 13, 2022

The emphasis given by these heads of state viewing mass burial sites and other crime scenes sends a message that those countries recall the “fraternal’ occupation by the Red Army before and during World War 2, and they are not going to let Russia’s crimes in Ukraine go unreported.

I think we’re also seeing a new informal bloc, led by Poland, forming in northeastern Europe. Poland. Latvia, Lithuania, and Estonia have a great deal of cultural, political, and economic connectedness. The war in Ukraine is leading them towards much closer ties. It will be interesting to see how France and Germany, who think they ARE Europe, will respond to this challenge.