Hegseth meets with Baltic defense ministers at the Pentagon

RIGA - On Friday, US Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth met his counterparts from the three Baltic States - Estonian Defense Minister Hanno Pevkur, Latvian Defense Minister Andris Spruds and Lithuanian Defense Minister Dovile Sakaliene - at the Pentagon.

During the meeting, the Baltic ministers pledged to allocate 5 percent of gross domestic product (GDP) to defense, which Hegseth said serves as a reminder to all NATO members of their responsibility, according to the Pentagon.

Hegseth thanked his colleagues for the friendship, support and respect shown by the Baltic States to US troops and for the example they set for other allies.

"The United States remains fully committed to NATO, and together we will achieve peace in Europe through strength, setting the conditions for a negotiated and lasting peace in Ukraine, ensuring sustainable deterrence, and increasing allied combat power and interoperability," Hegseth stressed.

The United States has many commitments around the world, including to ensure its own security and to prevent war in the Indo-Pacific region, the Pentagon chief said, adding that the Europeans' contribution to their own conventional defense capabilities is therefore more important than ever.

The Baltic countries' efforts to modernize their militaries and invest in their combat capabilities will deter aggressors and increase their readiness to repel aggression, Hegseth said.

He also thanked Baltic colleagues for organizing multinational maneuvers, which help strengthen collective combat readiness.

"I am also glad that our HIMARS (High Precision Artillery System) deployment has helped train your armies before they receive HIMARS equipment themselves," Hegseth said.

For his part, Pevkur said that Friday's meeting is a testament to the strong and reliable cooperation between the Baltic States and the US.

Spruds echoed his Estonian counterpart, adding that in these difficult times it is important that allied armies become more efficient and more lethal.

For her part, Sakaliene stressed that every US soldier in Lithuania "is our own soldier" and that Lithuania cares deeply about them. "We care very much about our friendship and we consider them [US soldiers] as family members," the Lithuanian minister added.