"NATO's Vigilance at Vilnius Summit: Protecting Against Russian and Belarusian Threats"

NATO has deployed advanced weaponry and approximately 1,000 troops to protect the upcoming Vilnius summit, where U.S. President Joe Biden and other alliance leaders will meet just 32 km from the border with Belarus, a Russian ally. The Baltic states lack advanced air defense systems, so NATO allies such as Germany, Spain, France, Finland, Denmark, the United Kingdom, and France are providing air defense capabilities. Lithuania's president has called for the establishment of permanent air defenses in the Baltic states. Locals near the Belarus border feel safe due to NATO membership, but Lithuania has tripled its border guards and reintroduced border checks in preparation for potential provocations.