Washington approves $228M in US military aid to the three Baltic States

23 Mar at 5:21 pm

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The U.S. Congress has passed a bill that involves a total of $228 million in military and defense aid to Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania this year under the Baltic Security Initiative, Estonia’s defense officials said Saturday.

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The U.S. Congress has approved a bill allocating $228 million in military and defense aid to Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania for this year as part of the Baltic Security Initiative.
The funding is aimed at supporting military infrastructure and capability development projects in these three NATO member states, which are also neighbors to Russia.
Estonian Defense Minister Hanno Pevkur highlighted the importance of this aid, noting that it is slightly higher than the previous year’s support and underscores the U.S.’s commitment to the security and stability of the Baltic region.
The Baltic Security Initiative, established in 2020, facilitates the development of military capabilities and interoperability among the armed forces of Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania, with a focus on enhancing air defense, maritime situational awareness, and land forces.
This initiative follows a five-year defense cooperation road map agreed upon in December between the U.S. and the Baltic states, which outlines defense and national security collaboration through 2028.

The Associated Press has the story:

Washington approves $228M in US military aid to the three Baltic States

Newslooks- HELSINKI (AP) —

The U.S. government funding legislation includes military aid to the three Baltic countries, which all are NATO members and neighbors of Russia, that was approved by lawmakers on Friday.

FILE – Estonia’s Defense Minister Hanno Pevkur, left, is greeted by Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin during an honor cordon ceremony, upon his arrival at the Pentagon, Tuesday, Oct. 18, 2022, in Washington. NATO member and Russia’s neighbor Estonia is boosting its defense capabilities by acquiring an advanced U.S. rocket artillery system. Estonian defense officials said Saturday, Dec. 3, 2022 that the deal with the U.S. worth more than $200 million is the Baltic country’s largest arms procurement project ever. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon, File)

“Support from the U.S. has significantly helped Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania fast track several military infrastructure and capability development projects,“ Estonian Defense Minister Hanno Pevkur said in a statement. “The good news is that the support is slightly higher than last year.”

“This (financial aid) sends a clear signal that the U.S., the largest ally in NATO, is committed to the security and stability of our region,” he said.

Created in 2020, the Baltic Security Initiative, or BSI, is a venture through which the U.S. Defense Department supports developing military capability and interoperability of the armed forces of Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania.

FILE – Soldiers of the NATO enhanced forward presence battalion take part in a military exercise ‘Saber Strike 2018’ at the Training Range in Pabrade some 60km (38 miles) north of the capital Vilnius, Lithuania, June 11, 2018. The U.S. Congress has passed a bill that involves a total of $228 million in military and defense aid to Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania this year under the Baltic Security Initiative, Estonia’s defense officials said Saturday March 23, 2024. (AP Photo/Mindaugas Kulbis, File)

The focus of the U.S. funding is on developing air defense, maritime situational awareness and land forces in the Baltic nations, Estonia’s defense ministry said, adding that a total of $225 million was allocated in aid under the BSI to the three countries in 2023.

In December, the United States and the Baltic states agreed on a five-year defense cooperation road map that is intended to guide the collaborative relationships for defense and national security between the countries through 2028.