U.S. President Barack Obama talks during a press conference at the Bank of Estonia in Tallinn, Estonia, September 3, 2014. Credit: REUTERS/Larry Downing

Obama Says NATO Must Help Strengthen Ukraine's Military -- Reuters

(Reuters) - U.S. President Barack Obama urged NATO on Wednesday to help strengthen Ukraine's military and said the alliance must leave the door open to new members to counter what he called Russian aggression.

Obama was speaking in Estonia, one of three ex-Soviet Baltic states bordering Russia that fear separatist rebellion in eastern Ukraine could herald problems for them. All three have sizeable Russian minorities and rely on Russian fuel deliveries.

Obama, who will attend a NATO summit in Wales on Thursday, accused Russia of a 'brazen assault' on Ukraine, which for five months has been fighting pro-Russian separatists that Moscow describes as a defense force warding off Ukrainian aggressors.

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Military And Intelligence News Briefs -- September 3, 2014

Obama arrives in Estonia for defence talks -- Al Jazeera

NATO to Prepare for Russia’s Next Move -- VOA

NATO Plans New Military Outposts to Stop Putin—Just Don't Call Them Bases -- Daily Beast

Moscow will review its military strategy in face of NATO plan for rapid-reaction force -- Washington Post

Germany says arms to Ukraine not on NATO summit agenda -- Reuters

Up to 1,000 NATO Servicemen to Take Part in Military Drills in Ukraine This Month -- RIA Novosti

US Intelligence Veterans Say Merkel Information on Russia’s Invasion to Ukraine Unreliable -- RIA Novosti

4 NATO warships to enter Black Sea before September 7 – military source -- RT

Obama Says US to Send Air Force Units, Aircraft to Estonia -- RIA Novosti

Obama pledges to boost US military presence in Baltics -- Deutsche Welle

Russia, Caucasus allies to form ‘security outline’ to counter NATO -- RT

Russia to Hold Large-Scale Strategic Rocket Drills in September: Defense Ministry -- RIA Novosti

Britain's £3.5bn armored vehicle order as Cameron calls for more NATO spending -- RT

Central America Becomes First Region Free of Cluster Munitions -- RIA Novosti

US Predator not as good as China's CH-4 drone: Chinese media -- Want China Times

NATO coalition in Afghanistan shrinking -- AP

Obama signs off on request for more U.S. troops in Baghdad -- CNN

Number Of US Troops In Iraq Rises To 820 After Obama Authorizes An Additional 350 In Baghdad -- IBTimes

U.S. military may move Niger drone base to Sahara desert city -- Reuters

US Navy delays start of bidding for unmanned carrier-based drone -- Reuters

Boeing to Begin Building AH-6i Helos for Saudis -- DoD Buzz

Lockheed Offers Navy New LCS Variant -- Defense Tech

Meet the new exoskeleton the Navy is testing to make sailors stronger -- Washington Post

Fake cell phone ‘towers’ may be spying on Americans’ calls, texts -- RT

Driverless vehicles are in the Army's future -- Stars and Stripes/Daily Press (Newport News, Va.) (MCT)

Hagel To Challenge Defense Industry to Innovate -- Defense News

House Homeland chief calls for 'high state of alert' ahead of Sept. 11 -- The Hill

The F-35: Savior of U.S. Airpower or Albatross of the Asia-Pacific? -- Adam Lowther & Chris Wrenn, Natinoal Interest

Could Global Threat Picture Restore US Defense Increases? -- Defense News

10 countries spending the most on their military -- Market Watch

Putin and the Ukraine crisis will force moribund Nato to reinvent itself -- Ewen MacAskill, The Guardian