US to Cut Aid to Baltics Amid Russian Incursions

The United States, under the Trump administration, appears to be reassessing its commitments to its NATO allies, creating serious concerns on the eastern borders of the North Atlantic Alliance. According to Reuters, the Pentagon has officially informed the diplomats of Latvia, Lithuania, and Estonia that Washington is preparing to significantly reduce the military aid provided to these countries. The White House justifies this step with the logic that European states should take greater responsibility for ensuring their own security and stop being so heavily dependent on American financial and military support.

Against the backdrop of this new American political course, the growing presence of the Russian Federation in the region is becoming more alarming. September 19 was a tense day for NATO's eastern flank. Three MiG-31 fighters belonging to the Russian Aerospace Forces intruded into Estonian airspace. Italian F-35 fighters conducting NATO's air patrol were forced to take off to push the Russian planes out. That was not all; on the same day, two other Russian military aircraft conducted a provocative flight in the immediate vicinity of a Polish oil platform in the Baltic Sea.

As expected, official Moscow denies all these accusations, calling them baseless. However, as Reuters notes, what is more worrying is not the Russian side's denial, but the US's extremely restrained and belated response. Donald Trump commented on the incidents only hours later, calling what happened an event that "could be a big problem." Such a mild and vague wording from Washington has disappointed many.

In European diplomatic circles, according to the agency, there are growing fears that such an indecisive and mild US position could only encourage the Kremlin to resort to even more dangerous provocations. European partners are convinced that Putin may perceive Washington's weak response as a green light for further aggressive actions. Many believe that without decisive American support and military presence, NATO's eastern flank remains extremely vulnerable and defenseless in the face of the growing Russian threat.