Leaders of all three Baltic countries met with the US president on the sidelines of the NATO summit.
“Our aim is for the U.S. military presence in Lithuania and the Baltic States to be reinforced, as this would be the best and the most significant expression of focus on the security of our region,” a press release from the Lithuanian presidential office quoted Nauseda as saying.
According to the Lithuanian president, the involvement of the United States in strengthening regional security and defense “is the most important deterrent factor for Russia”.
The US was aware of the threats faced by the Baltic States and was well informed about Russia’s increasingly aggressive posture and its aim to integrate Belarus into Russian military structures, Nauseda said.
“We have heard the assurance that the U.S. regards our region as strategically important for the Alliance, where deterrence and defense must be strengthened,” the Lithuanian leader said.
Following the NATO summit, Biden will travel to Geneva to meet with Russian President Vladimir Putin.
“I am confident that President Joe Biden will send a clear message about NATO’s unity and mobilization in the upcoming meeting with President Putin in response to Russia’s aggressive and unfriendly actions,” Nauseda said.
He added in a Facebook post that Biden had pledged to defend the security interests of the region during his meeting with the Russian president.
“The link between the Baltic countries and the United States has got even stronger,” Nauseda said.