TALLINN, Estonia (AP) — U.S. Vice President Mike Pence is visiting Estonia to meet the presidents of Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania to underscore America's commitment to NATO and convey Washington's support to the Baltic nations.

Pence will hold discussions Monday with Kersti Kaljulaid of Estonia, Raimonds Vejonis of Latvia and Dalia Grybauskaite of Lithuania on the second day of a European tour that also takes him to Georgia and Montenegro.

He will also meet NATO troops from Britain, France and the United States stationed in Estonia. The alliance has deployed some 4,000 troops and military hardware in the three Baltic states and Poland to counter Russia's presence in the Baltic Sea region.

Washington's pledge to commit to NATO's mutual defense is a vital issue for the three small former Soviet republics that border Russia.