Europe

NATO Countries Closest to Russia Up Defense Spending

‘We are dealing with an aggressive country,’ Latvian Defense Minister Andris Spruds said of Putin’s Russia.
NATO Countries Closest to Russia Up Defense Spending
Latvia's Minister of Defense Andris Spruds delivers a doorstep statement during a meeting of NATO Ministers of Defense at the NATO Headquarters in Brussels on June 13, 2024. Simon Wohlfahrt/AFP via Getty Images
Andrew Thornebrooke
Andrew Thornebrooke
National Security Correspondent
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WASHINGTON—The nations on NATO’s easternmost flank are investing record amounts on defense in order to deter further Russian aggression against the region.

Defense ministers from Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania gathered on July 9 in Washington to express their dedication to the NATO alliance and encourage other allies to pull their weight when it came to defense contributions.

Andrew Thornebrooke
Andrew Thornebrooke
National Security Correspondent
Andrew Thornebrooke is a national security correspondent for The Epoch Times covering China-related issues with a focus on defense, military affairs, and national security. He holds a master's in military history from Norwich University.
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