US approves nearly EUR 170 mln for Baltic Security Initiative

VILNIUS - The United States has approved nearly 170 million euros (200 million US dollars) in funding for the Baltic Security Initiative (BSI).

The funding was authorized by the US Congress, the Lithuanian Foreign Ministry said in a Facebook post on Wednesday.

Launched by Congress in 2020, the Baltic Security Initiative aims to strengthen the defense capabilities of Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia and support interoperability efforts.

"We are grateful to the US for this continued support in strengthening transatlantic ties and NATO's collective defense," the ministry said.

Under the BSI, the US provides funding for the purchase of US-made weapons, the training of special forces and the provision of intelligence support.

As reported by BNS, reports emerged last year that Washington might discontinue military assistance to NATO countries bordering Russia, with the BSI mentioned among initiatives that could lose funding.

In early September, Lithuanian, Latvian and Estonian lawmaker appealed to the US Congress not to cut military support for the Baltic region.

The letter highlighted the long-standing partnership between the Baltic states and the US, rooted in shared values of freedom and democracy, and noted that the Baltics had supported US operations in Iraq and Afghanistan. It also said the three countries back Taiwan, Israel and Ukraine's sovereignty and territorial integrity.

The lawmakers said the Baltic states are firmly committed to defending themselves and will spend more than five percent of GDP on defense next year. They also underscored their countries' commitment to purchasing US military equipment.