Lithuania will seek collective defense against possible aggression

Lithuania will seek agreement at the forthcoming NATO summit in Madrid on collective defense in the region from the start of possible military aggression and on turning the existing multinational allied battalions in the Baltic states into brigade-sized units, the country's State Defense Council agreed on Thursday, presidential Adviser Kestutis Budrys said after its meeting.

"Today, the State Defense Council confirmed that Lithuania must pursue solutions to ensure collective defense from the very beginning of possible military aggression," he told reporters.

Lithuania's main objectives are increasing the allied battalion to a brigade and introducing air defense systems, Budrys said.