Baltic States ask that NATO battalions stationed in the countries be strengthened with air and naval forces
The Baltic countries are asking that NATO battalions deployed on their territory be reinforced with air and naval forces.
This was stated by Lithuanian Foreign Minister Linas Linkevicius, who, along with his colleagues from Estonia and Latvia, met in Washington with U.S. National Security Adviser John Bolton, reports Delfi.
“Now we have forward-based forces, and a limited international contingent is helping to ensure our security. We are not just talking about ground forces. In the future we would like, at least in the long term, that naval and air forces take part in this,” Linkevicius said.
He noted that for the Baltic countries, it is important that the allies maintain a presence “not only in terms of quantity, but also in more diverse ways.” He explained that this could mean exercises, visits, distribution of equipment, or branches of military bases.
According to him, during the meeting with Bolton, representatives of the Baltic States also asked that more attention be given to air defense, which is one of the weakest links in their defensive system.
NATO battalions were deployed in Lithuania, Latvia, Estonia and Poland in 2017. The Alliance says that this is in response to Russia’s aggressive actions in Ukraine and the Baltic Sea region.
As was reported, the NATO bloc has increased the number of troops in the Baltic countries in connection with the buildup of Russia’s military potential.