The United States should continue to pursue efforts consistent with the comprehensive, multi-lateral Baltic Defense Assessment of the military requirements of Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania issued in December 2020.

 

Robust support to accomplish United States strategic objectives, including by providing assistance to the Baltic countries through security cooperation referred to as the Baltic Security Initiative pursuant to sections 332 and 333 of title 10, United States Code, should be prioritized in the years to come.

 

Specifically, the continuation of —
(A) efforts to enhance interoperability among Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania and in support of NATO efforts;
(B) infrastructure and other host-country support improvements that will enhance United States and allied military mobility across the region;
(C) efforts to improve resilience to hybrid threats and cyber defenses in Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania; and
(D) support for planning and budgeting efforts of Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania that are regionally synchronized.

 

The Joint Explanatory Statement to Accompany the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2022 highlights that:
The United States has cumulatively allocated over $499.0 million in Department of Defense partner capacity funding for the Baltic countries since fiscal year 2018. The Department of Defense’s comprehensive Baltic Defense Assessment issued in December 2020 reaffirmed the importance of prioritizing assistance to the Baltic states of Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania. Congress strongly supports the continuation of such assistance.

In early 2022, EANC will be advocating for the appropriation of the authorized funds to ensure that it remains in the final version of the DoD’s budget. We will continue to keep the Estonian American community informed of BSI’s status and facilitate constituent support in our advocacy.

 

Karin Shuey
Washington, DC Director
Estonian American National Council
www.estosite.org