Lithuania will present a combat drone to Ukraine that was donated by the Turkish manufacturer after a private crowdfunding campaign among ordinary Lithuanians, who raised nearly $6.1 million for the purpose within days.
Lithuania imposed a ground transit ban of EU sanctioned Russian goods through its territory that will block half of all goods coming into the Russian exclave of Kaliningrad Oblast.
As some Eastern European nations send their Soviet-era kit to help Ukraine defend itself against Russia’s attack, the new weapons those nations stand to get in return from the United States and its allies could shape the continent’s arsenal for years to come.
President Donald Trump made the case to the leaders of the Baltic nations Tuesday that the U.S. was “very tough on Russia,” pointing to U.S. support for increased defense spending by NATO countries as a check on Moscow’s aggression.
The U.S. and NATO forces on Europe's eastern border are vastly outnumbered by the Russian military and could be quickly overwhelmed if Moscow mounted an aggressive assault into the Baltic region.