Baltic States call for stronger NATO presence, more Russian sanctions

The leaders of Latvia, Estonia and Lithuania have urged NATO to boost its presence on their territory in the wake of Russia's invasion of Ukraine.
The three EU nations are all members of the military alliance but are also former parts of the Soviet Union, with Russian President Vladimir Putin irked by their change of sides.
"We are not just calling for a permanent NATO presence, but a new kind of NATO presence," Latvian Prime Minister Krisjanis Karins said after a meeting with Kajas Kallas and Ingrida Simonyte, his Estonian and Lithuanian counterparts respectively.
This new presence, he said, must be based on the premise that an invasion would not take place "because our ability to defend ourselves and achieve victory would be clear from day one."
The three prime ministers also spoke out in favour of tougher sanctions against Russia, including import bans on Russian oil and gas.