The delegation, consisting mostly of members of the Senate Committees on Appropriations and Armed Services, came to Lithuania to obtain direct knowledge about the security situation at the eastern borders of NATO and to assess the threats faced by the Baltic states. The recommendations of the committees are very important for the Congress’ decisions on U.S. military support for the Baltic states.
According to the President, the U.S. plays a cornerstone role in ensuring the security of Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia. She pointed out that Lithuania had always felt the solid support of the United States which contributed to the security of the Baltic people in very concrete ways: through troops, military equipment and funding. Members of the Congress delegation underscored a firm commitment of the United States to NATO’s collective defense.
Presently, a proposal has been submitted to the Congress on increasing the funding for the European Deterrence Initiative by one third to reach almost five billion dollars as of next year. This is a financial program that funds the stationing of U.S. troops and equipment in Europe, including the Baltic states, carrying out military exercises and upgrading the military infrastructure of European countries.
NATO’s forward presence battalion led by the U.S. is stationed in Poland near the so-called Suwalki Corridor while the American troops and heavy equipment permanently rotate in the Baltic states on a bilateral basis.
The President also discussed the outcomes of the NATO summit in Brussels, held last week. According to Dalia Grybauskaitė, transatlantic and regional security begins in the Baltic states. The U.S. leadership is needed for ensuring NATO’s defense in the eastern flank through establishing a common regional air defense, prepositioning of military equipment and organizing wide-scale military exercises.
The President also underscored that the renewal of NATO was paramount. According to Dalia Grybauskaitė, military forces have to be relocated to the East where the biggest conventional threat for the Alliance comes from. It was also necessary to speed up decision-making and delegate more powers to the Supreme Allied Commander Europe (SACEUR) as well as develop NATO’s defense plans based on real threats.
According to the President, Lithuania understands well that the security of the entire Alliance depends on the contribution made by each member state. Therefore, Lithuania consistently increases defense funding, modernizes its military forces, enhances measures to counter cyber-attacks, and ensures appropriate host country’s support for the arriving troops. Lithuania is also a member of the US-led anti-ISIS coalition.
Fighting against hostile propaganda and the spread of false information, support for Ukraine, sanctions against Russia, and energy security were also discussed at the meeting.
