INSUBCONTINENT EXCLUSIVE:
Lithuania said Monday that it will spend 1.1 billion euros ($1.2 billion) over the next decade to fortify its border with Russia and
northwestern Belarus, has raised concerns, along with fellow Baltic states Latvia and Estonia, that they could become future targets if
as enhancing early warning capabilities.In January, Lithuania announced plans to raise its defense spending to between 5% and 6% of GDP
annually from 2026 to 2030.The country also plans to bolster defenses around the Suwalki Gap, a critical stretch of land connecting
Military analysts warn that if the Suwalki Gap were seized, it would cut off the Baltic states from the rest of the alliance.Other defensive
plans include deepening irrigation ditches to function as trenches, reforesting key border zones and planting trees along roads to shield
civilians and troops.Lithuania, along with Latvia, Estonia, Finland and Poland, announced plans this year to withdraw from the Ottawa
Convention, which bans the use, production and stockpiling of anti-personnel landmines.The move has drawn sharp criticism from humanitarian
organizations, including Amnesty International and the International Committee of the Red Cross, which warn of the long-term civilian toll
