"Poland has already closed its border with Belarus, and discussions about land border closures are underway in Latvia and Lithuania," said Isamaa chair and MP Urmas Reinsalu.

"As everyone knows, Finland has fully maintained its border closure," he continued, noting that coordinating with the other Baltic countries and Finland would increase the impact of this move.

The statement of purpose accompanying the bill points to recent security developments that have sharply increased tensions along NATO's eastern flank, and Isamaa believes closing the border is necessary to protect Estonian residents and the state.

"Closing the control line is one way to reduce risks, prevent unforeseen incidents and bolster the defense of the temporary control line," Reinsalu said, referencing the official legal status of Estonia's de facto but legally still unratified eastern border.

Under Estonia's State Border Act, the government has the authority to close the control line, so Isamaa's proposal is framed as a draft Riigikogu decision for the government to consider.

The topic of closing the border drew public attention late last year, when then-interior minister Lauri Läänemets (SDE) said the government had no plans to close its border with Russia, citing a focus on maritime security, after the Estlink 2 undersea power cable was damaged — an act attributed to Russian shadow fleet oil tanker Eagle S.  

Läänemets said at the time that Russia's hybrid attacks aimed to sow public confusion and unrest, adding that shutting down the borders in Narva and Southeastern Estonia to even local residents could inadvertently serve Russian interests.

The government knows when and under what circumstances they would close down the borders, he said, without specifying what those circumstances were.

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