US to support Baltic states: Trump
PR dla Zagranicy
Victoria Bieniek
04.04.2018 08:30
US President Donald Trump pledged America's support for the Baltic states when he met the presidents of Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia for security talks in Washington on Tuesday.
President Raimonds Vejonis of Latvia, President Kersti Kaljulaid of Estonia, President Dalia Grybauskaite of Lithuania and US President Donald Trump. Photo: EPA/SHAWN THEW.
In a statement issued after high-level talks with Lithuanian President Dalia Grybauskaite, Latvian President Raimonds Vejonis and Estonian President Kersti Kaljulaid, Trump said the Baltic states were "great friends" of the United States.
The four presidents talked security in northeastern Europe and planned NATO reforms ahead of the alliance's summit in Brussels this July.
The White House said that 5,000 US soldiers would this year take part in two military training exercises in the Baltics, which are key to securing NATO's eastern flank.
In a White House statement, Trump also said that energy independence among the Baltic countries was important.
He said the United States could help reduce these countries' dependence on Russia by supplying liquefied natural gas to the Baltic region and help prevent cyber attacks on energy networks.
The European leaders also discussed possible increased US direct investment in the Baltic countries with US Secretary of Commerce Wilbur Ross. (vb/gs)
Source: IAR