75 Members of Congress Sign Letter to Allocate $300 Million for the Baltic Security Initiative

Washington, D.C. (JBANC) - Seventy-Five members of the United States Congress signed a letter to the House Appropriations Subcommittee on Defense supporting $300 million in funding for the Baltic Security Initiative for the Fiscal Year 2027 (FY27) defense appropriations bill. The March 20 letter, being led by Baltic Caucus Co-Chairs Rep. Don Bacon and Rep. Salud Carbajal, recognizes the commitment to defense from all three Baltic states, with “All three countries have long exceeded the NATO goal of two percent and are leading in defense expenditure nearing and exceeding 5% GDP in 2026.”

The United States plays an essential role in supporting Baltic security, particularly through the Baltic Security Initiative, a major source of funding for strengthening regional defense capabilities. Raising funding to $300 million would help accelerate key defense capacity-building projects and bolster deterrence against Russian aggression. The letter highlights that “Over the

next three years, the Baltic states estimate an additional $1.65 billion shortfall in completing these projects beyond the $21 billion they intend to spend on their own defense needs.” Continued investment is vital given that the Baltic region is currently the only area of NATO without conventional military superiority over its Russian counterparts. 

The Joint Baltic American National Committee (JBANC) is grateful for the support of the 75 members of the U.S. House of Representatives and the work of advocates during Baltic Advocacy Days from March 16-18, who encouraged their congressional members to sign onto this letter. This year’s letter in support of the Baltic Security Initiative received 26 more signatures than last year. JBANC will continue to work with Congress to ensure the Baltic Security Initiative is funded for FY27.

See the full letter text and signatures here.