East Europe wary of closer French-Russian ties

PALANGA, Lithuania: Several Eastern European countries are becoming increasingly worried that the West may abandon Ukraine in return for Russian backing in Syria, as Paris, Moscow and Washington develop closer ties in the fight against the Islamic State jihadist group.

The three Baltic states, which were under Moscow’s thumb until 1991, were particularly spooked by Russia’s annexation of Crimea from Ukraine last year and are concerned about the Kremlin’s territorial ambitions.