Baltics agree to create joint missile system

KAUNAS – The Baltic defense ministers in Lithuania's second-largest city of Kaunas on Tuesday and agreed to create a join missile system.

In their joint statement, the ministers "declared their intent to engage in a joint development of regional interoperable Multiple Launch Rocket System capability".

Lithuanian National Defense Minister Arvydas Anusauskas says it's part of future projects.

"We are trying to synchronize a bit. I cannot say specifically right now how it will look like as we only have applications, in this case, to the United States of America that has such technology in its disposition," the minister told reporters in Kaunas.

He also says it might become a "good response" to Russia's announced red lines.

(Russian President Vladimir – BNS) Putin wants … Poland and the Baltic states not to be defended, for attack weaponry not to be stationed, no American presence, and in fact no NATO presence. I think we cannot accept that," Anusauskas said.

In Kaunas, Anusauskas and his Latvian and Estonian counterparts Artis Pabriks and Kalle Laanet discussed regional security issues and cooperation within the EU and NATO, and signed a joint statement.

Laanet said he was "extremely glad we have commonly agreed with a Letter of Intent on an extremely important capability development project for our region – to develop a Multiple Launch Rocket System in all three countries".

"This is a huge step forward for our common capability development and advancing the deterrence and defense posture in the region," the Estonian minister said.

The West have accused Moscow of having massed some 100,000 troops near Ukraine's border and getting ready for an invasions. Putin denies that his country's planning an attack, accuses NATO of fueling tensions and has demanded "legal guarantees" that the Alliance will not expand eastwards.