Baltic Defense and Deterrence Act

To establish the Baltic Security and Economic Enhancement Initiative for the purpose of increasing security and economic ties with the Baltic countries and to establish the Baltic Security Initiative for the purpose of deepening security cooperation with the Baltic countries, and for other purposes. 1. Short title This Act may be cited as the Baltic Defense and Deterrence Act 2. Sense of Congress It is the sense of Congress that— (1) supporting and strengthening the security of Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania (referred to in this Act as the Baltic countries (2) continuing to strengthen and update the United States-Baltics security cooperation roadmap is critical to achieving strategic security priorities as the Baltic countries face ongoing belligerence and threats from the Russian Federation, including amid the Russian Federation's illegal and unprovoked war in Ukraine that began on February 24, 2022; (3) the United States should encourage advancement of the Three Seas Initiative to strengthen transport, energy, and digital infrastructures among Eastern European countries, including the Baltic countries; and (4) improved economic ties between the United States and the Baltic countries, including to counter economic pressure by the People's Republic of China, offer an opportunity to strengthen the United States-Baltic strategic partnership. 3. Baltic Security and Economic Enhancement Initiative (a) Establishment The Secretary of State shall establish and implement an initiative, to be known as the Baltic Security and Economic Enhancement Initiative (b) Objectives The objectives of the Baltic Security and Economic Enhancement Initiative shall be— (1) to ensure timely delivery of security assistance to the Baltic countries, prioritizing assistance to bolster defenses against hybrid warfare and improve interoperability with the military forces of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization; (2) to mitigate the impact on the Baltic countries of economic coercion by the Russian Federation and the People’s Republic of China; (3) to identify new opportunities for foreign direct investment and United States business ties; and (4) to bolster United States support for the economic and energy security needs of the Baltic countries, including by convening an annual trade forum with the Baltic countries and the United States International Development Finance Corporation. (c) Authorization of appropriations There is authorized to be appropriated for the Department of State, $60,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2023 through 2027 to carry out the initiative authorized under subsection (a). 4. Baltic Security Initiative (a) Establishment The Secretary of Defense shall establish and implement an initiative, to be known as the Baltic Security Initiative (b) Objectives The objectives of the Baltic Security Initiative shall be— (1) to achieve United States national security objectives, including deterring aggression by the Russian Federation and bolstering the long-term security of North Atlantic Treaty Organization allies; (2) to enhance regional planning and cooperation among the Baltic countries, particularly with respect to long-term regional capability projects, including— (A) long range precision fire systems and capabilities; (B) integrated air and missile defense; (C) maritime domain awareness; (D) land forces development, including stockpiling large caliber ammunition; (E) command, control, communications, computers, intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance; (F) special operations forces development; and (G) coordination with and security enhancements for Poland, which is a neighboring North Atlantic Treaty Organization ally; and (3) to improve the Baltic countries' cyber defenses and resilience to hybrid threats. (c) Strategy (1) In general Not later than one year after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary of Defense shall submit to Congress a report setting forth the strategy of the Department of Defense to achieve the objectives described in subsection (b). (2) Considerations The strategy required by paragraph (1) shall include a consideration of— (A) security assistance programs for the Baltic countries managed by the Department of State; (B) the ongoing security threats to the North Atlantic Treaty Organization's eastern flank posed by Russian aggression, including as a result of the Russian Federation’s 2022 invasion of Ukraine with support from Belarus; and (C) rising tensions with, and presence in the Baltic countries of, the People’s Republic of China, including economic bullying of the Baltic countries by the People’s Republic of China. (d) Authorization of appropriations There is authorized to be appropriated for the Department of Defense, $250,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2023 through 2027 to carry out the initiative authorized under subsection (a).

Summary: Baltic Defense and Deterrence Act This bill requires the Department of State to establish and implement an initiative to increase security and economic ties with the Baltic countries (i.e., Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania). The bill also requires the Department of Defense to establish and implement an initiative to deepen security cooperation with the Baltic countries.