US Vice President Mike Pence starts tour of three Baltic members of NATO

US Vice President Mike Pence started a tour today of three Baltic members of NATO. He arrived in Estonia for talks about military support which could include a possible anti-aircraft defence deal. The trip comes as Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania seek US assurances after years of Russian military expansionism. Pence is to continue the eastern European tour by heading to Georgia and Montenegro.

Relations between Moscow and



Tallinn have been fraught since Estonia broke free from the crumbling Soviet Union in 1991, joining both the EU and NATO in 2004.

Estonian Prime Minister Juri Ratas said on public radio that the subject of Patriot air defence systems had been raised in his first talks with Pence, but he did not give any details. 

Pence is to head to Montenegro, which joined NATO last month.