Roundup: Trump announces closer ties with Baltic nations on security, energy

WASHINGTON, April 3 (Xinhua) -- U.S. President Donald Trump on Tuesday met with three leaders from the Baltic states at the White House, vowing to tighten cooperation on security and energy amid escalating tensions between Russia and NATO.

In a joint press conference held on Tuesday afternoon with Latvian President Raimonds Vejonis, Estonian President Kersti Kaljulaid and Lithuanian President Dalia Grybauskite, Trump, in his first Baltic summit, said the United States will remain a steadfast ally of the three Baltic nations.

In a statement released ahead of the press conference, the White House said it plans to provide nearly 100 million U.S. dollars for procurement of large-caliber ammunition for the Baltics and over 70 million dollars in training and equipment.

Washington will continue to improve defense and security infrastructure in the Baltic region, the statement added.

The White House also announced that more than 5,000 U.S. troops will join multinational forces in this year's Saber Strike, an annual U.S.-led exercise of land and air forces.

It will make the military drill "the largest event of its kind to take place in the Baltic region," the statement said.

Energy was another focus for closer ties.

The United States will help beef up the three nations' capacity to resist cyber-attacks and support energy diversification projects, including synchronizing the Baltic and European electric grids, the statement read.

The visit of the three leaders came amid escalating tensions between NATO and Russia. The Baltic states are seen as a bulwark against Russia in eastern Europe.

In a working luncheon on Tuesday, Trump also applauded the Baltic nations on meeting their defense spending obligations to NATO this year, saying it distinguished them from allies who "haven't met their obligations."

"But they will," insisted Trump, who has been skeptical about allies' inadequate defense spending since he took office last year.

He noted that Germany paid only one percent of its gross domestic product (GDP) on defense while spending "billions of dollars for energy into Russia."

NATO members are committed to spending up to two percent of their GDP expenditure on defense.

Lithuanian President Grybauskaite told reporters that she called Trump's strong stance "very good pressure to all of us, all members of NATO."

Relations between Russia and the West become strained after more than two dozen countries expelled Russian diplomats over the poisoning of a Russian ex-spy.

Moscow has denied any involvement in the poisoning of former double agent Sergei Skripal and his daughter Yulia in Britain on March 4, and has taken corresponding measures against the United States and its allies in response to the diplomat expulsions. Enditem