Lithuanian president asks NATO chief for more troops, air defence

Lithuanian President Gitanas Nauseda said on Monday he had called on NATO to increase the alliance's presence in the Baltic region by adding more troops and equipment.

In a telephone meeting, Nauseda told NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg that Baltic air defenses must be improved and that adding troops is "of vital importance in the current security context", the president's office said in a statement.

"NATO should increase the Baltic region security by adding troops, weapons systems, and military equipment to its current forces there," Nauseda said.