Sec. 1531. Statement of policy regarding European Reassurance Initiative
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Congress makes the following findings: In February 2015, Lieutenant General James Clapper (retired), Director of National Intelligence, testified to the Committee on Armed Services of the Senate that Russian dominance over the former Soviet space is Russia’s highest foreign policy goal . Russia, under the direction of President Vladimir Putin, has demonstrated its intent to expand its sphere of influence beyond its borders and limit Western influence in the region. The Russian military is aggressively postured on the Ukrainian boarder and continues its buildup of military personnel and material.
These aggressive and unwarranted actions serve to intimidate, with a show of force, the Ukrainian people as well as the other nations in the region including Georgia, the Baltic States, and the Balkan States. In December 2014, Congress enacted the Ukraine Freedom Support Act of 2014 ( Public Law 113–272 ), which gives the President the authority to expand assistance to Ukraine, increase economic sanctions on Russia, and provide equipment to counter offensive weapons. In February 2015, the Atlantic Council, the Brookings Institute, and the Chicago Council on Global Affairs published a report entitled Preserving Ukraine’s Independence, Resisting Russian Aggression:
What the United States and NATO Must Do advocating for increased United States assistance to Ukraine with nonlethal and lethal defensive equipment. Despite Russia signing the February 2015 Minsk Agreement, it has continued to violate the terms of the agreement, as noted by Assistant Secretary of State for European and Eurasian Affairs, Victoria Nuland, at the German Marshall Fund Brussels Forum in March 2015: We’ve seen month on month, more lethal weaponry of a higher caliber...poured into Ukraine by the separatist Russian allies...the number one thing is for Russia to stop sending arms over the border so we can have real politics. .
The military of the Russian Federation continues to increase their show of force globally, including frequent international military flights, frequent snap exercises of thousands of Russian troops, increased global naval presence, and the threat of the use of nuclear weapons in defense of the annexation of Crimea in March 2014. The Government of the Russian Federation continues to exert and increase undue influence on the free will of sovereign nations and people with intimidation tactics, covert operations, cyber warfare, and other unconventional methods.
In testimony to the Committee on Armed Services of the House of Representatives in February 2015, Commander of European Command, General Philip Breedlove, United States Air Force, stated that Russia has employed . hybrid warfare ...to illegally seize Crimea, foment separatist fever in several sovereign nations, and maintain frozen conflicts within its so-called sphere of influence or near abroad The use of unconventional methods of warfare by Russia presents challenges to the United States and its partners and allies in addressing the threat.
An enhanced United States military presence and readiness posture and the provision of security assistance in Europe are key elements to deterring further Russian aggression and reassuring United States allies and partners. In the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2015 ( Public Law 113–291 ), Congress authorized and appropriated $1 billion for the European Reassurance Initiative, which supports Operation Atlantic Resolve of the United States Armed Forces. The European Reassurance Initiative expands United States military presence in Europe, through— bolstered and continual United States military presence; bilateral and multilateral exercises with partners and allies; improved infrastructure; increased prepositioning of United States equipment throughout Europe; and building partnership capacity for allies and partners.
The European Reassurance Initiative has served as a valuable tool in strengthening the partnerships with the North Atlantic Treaty Organization
(NATO)as well as partnerships with non-member allies in the region. As a result of the NATO 2014 Summit in Wales, NATO has initiated a Readiness Action Plan to increase partner nation funding and resourcing to combat Russian aggression. NATO’s efforts with the Readiness Action Plan and United States investment in regional security through the European Reassurance Initiative will serve to continue and reinforce the strength and fortitude of the alliance against nefarious actors. The President’s Budget Request for fiscal year 2016 includes $789.3 million to continue the European Reassurance Initiative focus on increased United States military troop rotations in support of Operation Atlantic Resolve, maintaining and further expanding increasing regional exercises, and building partnership capacity. It is the policy of the United States to continue and expand its efforts in Europe to reassure United States allies and partners and deter further aggression and intimidation by the Russian Government, in order to enhance security and stability in the region. This policy shall include— continued use of conventional methods, including increased United States military presence in Europe, exercises and training with allies and partners, increasing infrastructure, prepositioning of United States military equipment in Europe, and building partnership capacity; increased emphasis on countering unconventional warfare methods in areas such as cyber warfare, economic warfare, information operations, and intelligence operations, including increased efforts in the development of strategy, operational concepts, capabilities, and technologies; and increased security assistance to allies and partners in Europe, including the provision of both non-lethal equipment and lethal equipment of a defensive nature to Ukraine.
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Sec. 1531
Statement of policy regarding European Reassurance Initiative
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