US to terminate European security programs focusing on Russia: Report

By Serdar Dincel

ISTANBUL (AA) - The US administration under President Donald Trump plans to end the longstanding European security assistance programs, including efforts to strengthen the continent’s eastern flank against a possible Russian attack, sources said, according to media reports.

The decision would affect hundreds of millions of dollars in military aid that some of the alliance’s most vulnerable members depend on, the Washington Post reported on Friday.

The Baltic Security Initiative, which provides funding for military infrastructure and training to strengthen Estonia, Lithuania, and Latvia, is among the programs slated for suspension.

Although these three countries are among NATO members that spend the highest percentage of their GDP on defense, their relatively small economies make US financial support particularly crucial.

David Baker, the Pentagon’s director for Europe and NATO policy, told a group of European defense officials late last week about the decision, citing shifting priorities within the administration, according to people familiar with the matter.