The Baltic states have formed a regional defense coalition within the framework of NATO, Lithuanian Minister of National Defense Dovilė Šakalienė announced.
“Together with our regional partners, we have established a defense coalition, signaling that NATO’s eastern flank is united and indivisible, and that we will defend it together with all necessary means,” Šakalienė stated.
The minister made the remarks while commenting on the coordinated decision by Lithuania, Latvia, and Estonia to withdraw from the Ottawa Convention on Anti-Personnel Mines. The withdrawal will take effect six months after the formal notification is submitted.
Šakalienė emphasized that “anti-personnel mines are an effective and economically efficient means of defense, enabling the halting of enemy infantry movements and the formation of strong, stable defensive lines to deter invading forces.”
