WASHINGTON—The nations on NATO’s easternmost flank are investing record amounts on defense in order to deter further Russian aggression against the region.

Defense ministers from Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania gathered on July 9 in Washington to express their dedication to the NATO alliance and encourage other allies to pull their weight when it came to defense contributions.

Anything less, they warned, could encourage more violence in Eastern Europe and, possibly, the end of some nations outright.

Latvian Defense Minister Andris Spruds said that Russian President Vladimir Putin’s continued targeting of civilians in Ukraine demonstrated a tolerance for “human loss.” Mr. Putin’s “absolute disregard of human life and human dignity,” he said, had to be taken into account when dealing with Russia.

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