At NATO, Lithuania says Russia trying to 'swallow' Belarus

BRUSSELS - Lithuania told a summit of NATO leaders on Monday that Russia was trying to "swallow" Belarus and that the Western military alliance needed to be united in deterring Moscow.

"Belarus is losing the last elements of the independence, and those trends are very dangerous," Lithuanian President Gitanas Nauseda said on arriving to the talks.

"I would expect that (U.S.) President Biden will send a very clear message about the decisiveness and unity of NATO, and will react with very clear messages to what is happening," he said, adding that NATO won't have closer ties with Russia for as long as Moscow does not change its course.