Lithuanian Interior Minister Agne Bilotaite announced the plan on May 24 after talks with her counterparts from the two Baltic states of Estonia and Latvia, as well as Poland, Finland, and Norway, according to AFP.
A plan to use unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) to protect the border has been agreed upon due to security concerns in the region amid the conflict between Russia and Ukraine. However, Bilotaite did not specify when the plan would be implemented.
NATO countries bordering Russia plan to build a "drone wall".
"This is something entirely new, a wall of drones stretching from Norway to Poland, and the goal is to use drones and other technologies to protect our borders," BNS news agency quoted Bilotaite as saying.
She said: "It's not just about infrastructure and on-site surveillance systems, but also drones and other technologies that will help protect us from provocations from unfriendly countries, as well as prevent smuggling."
In addition to deploying UAVs to monitor their borders, these countries will also use anti-UAV systems to intercept similar devices from their adversaries.
Tensions between Russia and NATO have escalated sharply since Russia launched its "special military operation" in Ukraine in February 2022. Moscow has traditionally opposed NATO expansion, but the conflict in Ukraine has prompted Sweden and Finland, two traditionally neutral countries, to quickly seek to join the US-led military alliance.
Ukraine also wants to join NATO, but this is almost certainly not going to happen in the near future.
The U.S. State Department announced on May 24 that Secretary of State Antony Blinken will travel to the Czech Republic and Moldova next week. He is scheduled to attend an informal meeting of NATO foreign ministers in Prague. Assistant Secretary of State for European and Eurasian Affairs James O'Brien revealed that the meeting will prepare for decisions to be made at the NATO summit in Washington, D.C., in July.
"We don't think there will be an invitation for Ukraine to join NATO (at the conference), but we think there will be significant support for Ukraine as it strives to win its war," O'Brien told reporters at a press conference on May 24, according to Reuters.
On the same day, the US announced a $275 million military aid package for Ukraine, including ammunition, missiles, mines, and artillery shells. This is the latest aid package that US President Joe Biden has ordered to Kyiv since the US Congress approved a $61 billion aid plan.
"This $275 million aid package is part of our efforts to help Ukraine repel the Russian offensive near Kharkiv and contains urgently needed capabilities," AFP quoted Foreign Minister Blinken as saying.
Source: https://thanhnien.vn/cac-nuoc-nato-giap-nga-dinh-xay-tuong-uav-18524052509090255.htm
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