Estonia calls for deployment of US troops, Patriot missiles

Estonian President Kersti Kaljulaid called for US Patriot missiles and troops to be deployed to her small Baltic state Wednesday, telling AFP it was necessary to make deterrence "believable" for Russia.

In an interview coinciding with her visit to the White House, the conservative leader said the deployment of American materiel and personnel would bolster existing NATO troop deployments -- launched in response to Russia's more bellicose posture.

"We want to be sure that both NATO's territory and NATO soldiers are well protected," she said.

"We need to make sure that there is the air defence and the air support for these forces, in case that is necessary. We need our deterrence to be believable."
"This is very useful to calm the jittery nerves. Some people might think that NATO takes a long time to act, but the US could be quicker. There is some rationale in this thinking."