Sec. 1245. Sense of Congress on support for Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania
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Congress finds the following: The Baltic States of Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania are highly valued allies of the United States, and they have repeatedly demonstrated their commitment to advancing our mutual interests as well as those of the NATO Alliance. Operation Atlantic Resolve is a series of exercises and coordinating efforts meant to demonstrate the United States’ commitment to the Baltic States of Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania, and the United States-Baltic partnership’s shared goal of peace and stability in the region.
Built upon the common values of peace, stability and prosperity, Operation Atlantic Resolve strengthens communication and understanding, and is an important effort to deter Russian aggression against the Baltic States. As part of Operation Atlantic Resolve, the European Reassurance Initiative undertakes exercises, training, and rotational presence necessary to reassure and integrate our Baltic State allies into a common defense framework. All three Baltic States contributed to the NATO-led International Security Assistance Force in Afghanistan, sending disproportionate numbers of troops and operating with few caveats.
They also continue to engage in the Resolute Support Mission in Afghanistan. Congress— reaffirms its support for the principle of collective defense as enshrined in Article 5 of the North Atlantic Treaty for our NATO allies, Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania; supports the sovereignty, independence, territorial integrity, and inviolability of Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania as well as their internationally recognized borders, and expresses concerns over increasingly aggressive military maneuvering by Russia near their borders and airspace; expresses concerns over increasingly aggressive military maneuvering by the Russian Federation near Baltic state borders and airspace, and condemns reported subversive and destabilizing activities by the Russian Federation within the Baltic states; and encourages the Administration to further enhance defense cooperation efforts with Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania and supports the efforts of their Governments to provide for the defense of their people and sovereign territory.