Baltic Security Initiative Act
The Baltic Security Initiative Act would authorize the Department of Defense to create a dedicated Baltic Security Initiative to deepen security cooperation with the Baltic countries—Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania. The bill aims to strengthen deterrence against Russia and advance NATO’s new Strategic Concept by helping the Baltic states develop regional long-term defense capabilities (such as long-range fires, integrated air and missile defense, maritime domain awareness, land forces, C4ISR, and special operations forces) and by improving cyber defenses and resilience to hybrid threats. It also envisions closer regional planning with emphasis on collaboration with Poland and ongoing security considerations related to China. The plan would require the DoD to present a strategy within one year of enactment, outline funding through appropriations of $350 million annually for fiscal years 2026–2028, and encourage Baltic countries to contribute matching funds. The Baltic states are defined specifically as Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania. The initiative would be carried out under existing authorities in Title 10 of the U.S. Code (Chapter 16), which govern security cooperation.
Key Points
- 1Establishment and purpose: Creates the Baltic Security Initiative to deepen military security cooperation with Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania using DoD authorities in Title 10, Chapter 16.
- 2Objectives:
- 3- Deter aggression by the Russian Federation.
- 4- Implement NATO’s new Strategic Concept to strengthen deterrence and defense.
- 5- Improve regional planning and long-term capabilities (long-range precision fires, integrated air and missile defense, maritime domain awareness, land forces with ammunition stockpiles, C4ISR, special operations forces, and related capabilities).
- 6- Coordinate with Poland and bolster security for an allied neighbor.
- 7- Improve cyber defenses and resilience against hybrid threats for Baltic forces.
- 8Strategy requirement: DoD must submit a strategy within one year detailing how to achieve the objectives, including considerations about existing security assistance, threats from Russia and the Ukraine 2022 invasion context, and threats from China.
- 9Funding: Authorization of $350 million to the DoD for each of FY2026, FY2027, and FY2028 to implement the Initiative.
- 10Matching funds: Sense of Congress that the DoD should seek matching contributions from the Baltic countries in amounts commensurate with U.S. investments.
- 11Baltic Countries Defined: Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania.