Nauseda discusses regional airspace security with Baltic leaders

VILNIUS - President Gitanas Nauseda discussed regional airspace security with Baltic leaders on Thursday.

Nauseda held telephone talks with Latvian President Edgars Rinkevics and Estonian leader Alar Karis.

According to the President’s Office, the call initiated by Nausėda focused on the increasing frequency of incidents in regional airspace, Russia’s disinformation campaign against the Baltic states, and the urgent need to bolster NATO’s eastern flank air defences and anti-drone capabilities.

The presidents addressed the growing number of drone incidents and airspace violations along NATO’s eastern border.

An air alert was issued in Lithuania on Wednesday, while Latvia has been issuing warnings to residents regarding potential drone threats almost daily.

"We see a clear attempt to escalate tensions in our region alongside a coordinated disinformation campaign against the Baltic states. We must remain united, strengthen our air defence and anti-drone capabilities, and collectively seek greater attention from NATO allies for the security of the eastern flank," Nauseda said.

The Lithuanian leader expressed solidarity with Latvia, which is currently facing a particularly intense Russian disinformation campaign and threats.

"The presidents agreed that a coordinated response is necessary to counter false information spread by Russia, which aims to divert international attention from its illegal war against Ukraine. As responsible NATO members, the Baltic states have never provided their airspace or territories for drone attacks against targets in Russia," the statement said.

The President’s Office emphasised that Russia and Belarus must take responsibility for drones violating Baltic airspace and threatening public safety.

The leaders also stressed the need to strengthen critical infrastructure protection and accelerate initiatives such as the European Unio’s "Eastern Shield."

The importance and effectiveness of the NATO Baltic Air Policing mission were also highlighted during the talks.

The presidents welcomed the swift response by NATO allies to Tuesday’s incident in Estonia, where a Romanian F-16 fighter jet, part of the NATO mission, shot down a drone that had entered Estonian airspace.

The Baltic leaders underscored the necessity of further strengthening NATO air defence capabilities in the region, including the deployment of additional anti-drone systems and the transition from air policing to a full-scale air defence mission.

They also stressed the importance of maintaining a permanent presence of NATO fighter jets in the Baltic states as a key deterrent.

Following the discussion, the Baltic leaders issued a joint statement condemning the airspace violations and calling for the reinforcement of NATO’s air defence and anti-drone capabilities in the region.