GEOFF BENNETT: Russian officials# have described one of their top## priorities at tomorrow's summit between# President Trump and Vladimir Putin to be## normalizing relations with the# U.S. on topics beyond Ukraine.

And that concerns European officials, who# consider Russia a long-term threat and## believe Moscow is producing enough weapons# to one day attack members of NATO too.

Nick Schifrin recently sat down with# Estonia's defense minister about the## Baltic nation's increasingly fortified# border with Russia, a story documented## with the help of journalists from the University# of British Columbia's Global Reporting Program.

NICK SCHIFRIN: For 16 hours a day, this Lithuanian# factory is buzzing.

Massive machines alongside## workers build barriers by the hundreds.

They're# called dragon's teeth, concrete pyramids, each## one hundreds of pounds, and more than foot-thick# metal rod roadblocks.

They're called hedgehogs,## a storybook name for a serious purpose, protection# against a Russian invasion like Ukraine.

DONATAS JANKAUSKAS, CEO, Gelmesta# (through translator): It's about the## defense of our country and#.. NICK SCHIFRIN: Donatas Jankauskas is the CEO# of Gelmesta.

Its barriers might be low-tech,## but they're highly efficient.

The size,## weight and angle of the dragon's teeth# stop enemy tanks in their tracks.

And, in Northeast Lithuania, American and# Lithuanian troops train fewer than 10 miles## from the Belarusian border, where hundreds# of dragon's teeth are already glaring,## at the ready to stop Russian tanks.

Lithuania# is not alone fearing an attack from neighboring## Russia.

Up the road in Eastern Estonia, the Narva# Bridge, 500 feet, separating the European Union## on one side from Russia on the far side, and# before it barbed wire, several rows of dragon's## teeth and additional massive metal gates, which# Estonia began installing earlier this month.

It's part of the Baltic defense line launched# last year, a more-than-500-mile-l... system constructed by Latvia, Lithuania and# Estonia along the Russian and Belarusian borders,## with thousands of barriers like these in Latvia,# hundreds of bunkers seen here being battle-tested## in Estonia, and miles of anti-tank trenches all# spanning across NATO's historic Eastern flank.

DONALD TRUMP, President of the United States:# Thank you very much.

This has been an honor.

NICK SCHIFRIN: After years of questioning NATO,# this summer, at the NATO summit in The Hague,## President Trump praised the alliance and# the other 31 heads of state he just met## with, who pledged to increase their# defense spending to 5 percent of GDP.

DONALD TRUMP: And I left here differently.# I left here saying that these people really## love their countries.

It's not a ripoff and# we're here to help them protect their country.

MAN: Fire!

NICK SCHIFRIN: Part of.. a handful of American soldiers deployed in# the Baltics who train on American weapons,## like this multiple-launch# rocket system in Estonia.

Hanno Pevkur is Estonia's defense minister.

Can Estonia rely on President Trump to come# to Estonia's defense if attacked by Russia?

HANNO PEVKUR, Estonian Minister# of Defense: I believe all the NATO## allies can rely on President Trump,# because President Trump said very## clearly in The Hague that the United# States is a strong ally to everyone.

Dear Pete, thank you.

NICK SCHIFRIN: Pevkur recently visited Washington## to meet Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth,# alongside fellow Baltic defense ministers.

The message they heard,## the Trump administration is trying to# focus on the Indo-Pacific, not .. HANNO PEVKUR: We clearly understand the# administration message that they will## focus more on the INDOPAC.

So this is not news.## And that also probably means that there will# be reduction forces in Europe.

This is also## fine.

I believe that Europeans have to take# more responsibility, and we are doing that.

NICK SCHIFRIN: That message echoed to me at# The Hague by NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte.

MARK RUTTE, NATO Secretary-General: We# can defend ourselves now, but there is## a big risk in three, five, seven years# from now without the extra spending.

HANNO PEVKUR: When we take the plans# approved by the Russian government,## and we see that they are ramping up their defense# industry, they are also increasing their troops,## number of troops, so they will go# up to 1.5 million troops.

They will## bring to our neighborhood two# to nine times more equipment.

It consists from the attack helicopters, armed# personnel carriers, infantry (INAUDIBLE) vehicles,## tanks, et cetera.

So, my question is# very simple then.

When Russia wants to## be in a good relationship with the# West, why to make these changes?

NICK SCHIFRIN: What have you learned from Ukraine# that you are applying to your own defense?

HANNO PEVKUR: We have to bring home all the# lessons learned from Ukraine.

For instance,## we had the biggest NATO exercise this year called# the Hedgehog, where we had 18,000 troops in the## Estonian forests.

We also trained combat exercises# against the drones or together with the drones.

NICK SCHIFRIN: I spoke to a Ukrainian# officer recently who played a red team## up in the Baltics pretending to be a Russian# drone unit, and NATO troops really struggled## against that red team Russian drone unit.

Do# you acknowledge that NATO has a lot to learn?

HANNO PEVKUR: NATO has a lot to# learn, of course.

We all need to be## ready.

And this is why we are training.

This# is why we are cooperating also with Ukrainians,## to be better and to be ready to# defend and protect our people.

TOMAS MILASAUSKAS, CEO, RSI Europe: We# have been under Russian occupation for## hundreds of years, and it's just a matter# of question when they will come again.

NICK SCHIFRIN: Tomas Milasauskas is one of# those Lithuanians cooperating with Ukraine## by building drones that are already being used# on the battlefield.

He says Lithuanian history,## from subject of the Russian# empire, to Soviet satellite,## to independence in 1991, proves the country# will always face a threatening neighbor.

TOMAS MILASAUSKAS: The 30-year gap# that we have as independent country,## it's just a very short,# short glimpse in the history## that we're having.

This is a civilization# battle.

The outcome, of course, is up to US.

NICK SCHIFRIN: Preparing for that# possible battle is a national## effort.

These aren't soldiers, but# ordinary citizens in Lithuania's## National Defense Volunteer Forces.# For them, Ukraine is a wakeup call.

VLADISLAV KRIVEL, Lithuanian Volunteer# Soldier: We need to protect our freedom,## because there is no one who will come and# fight for you as well as you would do.

NICK SCHIFRIN: Vladislav Krivel's day job is at a## nuclear power plant.

He says they have# to be ready to defend their own land.

VLADISLAV KRIVEL: You can see that in Ukraine,## that they're getting all these promises that# someone will help them.. only Ukrainians are responsible for their# defense.

So it goes the same way for us.

NICK SCHIFRIN: And so the Baltics# will bolster their defenses,## hoping they will not have to fight the# European war that continues to rage.

For the "PBS News Hour," I'm Nick Schifrin.