U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin was formally welcomed to Vilnius, Lithuania on Saturday in a ceremony ahead of his meeting with President Gitanas Naused.  

Austin posed for photographs with Estonian Defense Minister Kalle Laanet, Latvian Defense Minister Artis Pabriks and Lithuanian Foreign Minister Gabrielius Landsbergis.

Minister Gabrielius said in a joint press conference on Saturday that the situation between Ukraine and Russia is a “direct military threat to Ukraine. But it also poses a threat to the entire region. Russia is ready to rewrite the European security architecture; the architecture which was based on agreements, on treaties and on diplomacy.” 

Secretary Austin said Russian troops “are uncoiling and now poised to strike. And that’s exactly why I’m here today. I want everyone in Lithuania, Estonia and Latvia to know and I want President Putin and the Kremlin to know that the United States of America stands with our allies.”

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