US plans to cut aid to three NATO countries

The Pentagon has notified diplomats about cuts in security programmes for Latvia, Lithuania and Estonia, which has caused alarm among allies, Reuters writes .

Washington under the leadership of Donald Trump is increasingly focusing on domestic priorities and shifting responsibility to Europe," the agency points out.

As journalists point out, the decision has already turned into alarm bells: Russian MiG-31s violated Estonian airspace and Russian aircraft flew over a Polish oil platform. Moscow has traditionally denied the violations, but NATO had to put Italian F-35s in the air.

There was no response to a letter from the Baltic states asking them to reconsider plans to cut US aid. The White House said that Europe itself is capable of financing defence programmes.

Experts note that the US steps create a risk of increased Russian aggression, because the programme, under which the Baltics received $1.6 billion from 2018 to 2022, is winding down. Some resources are being redirected to Asia to contain China.

Analysts warn that Washington's hesitation undermines NATO's unity and encourages the Kremlin to make new provocations.