US provides $175m in military assistance to Baltic states

The statement says Washington, with $125m in total military assistance, first allocated an additional $50m to boost the antiaircraft capabilities of those three former Soviet republics, which, according to numerous military experts, are their weakness, the AP reports.

The U.S.'s “goal is to strengthen braking and defence positions in the Baltic states in airspace, and especially in air defence”, the statement said.

The three Baltic states, which joined NATO in 2004, are loyal US allies, the AP recalls and stresses that the three states are limited to Russia.