US may send Patriot missile to Lithuania amid Moscow threat
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VILNIUS -- US defense officials say a long-range Patriot missile battery may be deployed to the Baltic region later this year as part of a military exercise.
If the move is finalized, it would be temporary—but signal staunch US backing for Baltic nations that are worried about the threat from Russia.
US Defense Secretary Jim Mattis is currently visiting Lithuania. And he's declining to confirm the specific deployment.
But Mattis says "we are here in a purely defensive stance."
