[Congressional Bills 118th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. Res. 251 Introduced in Senate (IS)]

<DOC>






118th CONGRESS
  1st Session
S. RES. 251

Celebrating the 2023 NATO Summit in Vilnius, Lithuania, and expressing 
  priorities related to transatlantic security and the NATO Strategic 
                                Concept.


_______________________________________________________________________


                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

                             June 14, 2023

 Mrs. Shaheen (for herself, Mr. Durbin, Mr. Grassley, and Mr. Tillis) 
submitted the following resolution; which was referred to the Committee 
                          on Foreign Relations

_______________________________________________________________________

                               RESOLUTION


 
Celebrating the 2023 NATO Summit in Vilnius, Lithuania, and expressing 
  priorities related to transatlantic security and the NATO Strategic 
                                Concept.

Whereas the United States signed the North Atlantic Treaty, done at Washington, 
        DC, April 4, 1949 (commonly known as the ``Washington Treaty''), to 
        provide collective security and strengthen security and political 
        cooperation with allies of the United States;
Whereas the United States and its allies recognized that security cooperation 
        was a necessary precursor to enhanced political and economic 
        stabilization and engagement;
Whereas, in 1991, the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (commonly known as 
        ``NATO'' and the ``Alliance'') issued an unclassified Strategic Concept 
        for the first time, outlining the basic principles and plans of the 
        Alliance to address security challenges and strategic threats;
Whereas, in 1994, NATO established the Partnership for Peace to enable partner 
        countries to share information and modernize and democratize their 
        political and security infrastructure with NATO;
Whereas, in 1999, NATO established the Membership Action Plan to facilitate the 
        accession of aspiring member countries by providing advice, assistance, 
        and support in meeting the political and military principles of the 
        Alliance;
Whereas any country that wishes may pursue NATO membership consistent with the 
        1995 Study on Enlargement and article 10 of the Washington Treaty by--

    (1) pursuing formal accession talks with the Alliance;

    (2) sending a letter of intent to NATO, including a timeline for the 
completion of necessary reforms recommended by the Alliance;

    (3) working with member countries so that accession protocols are 
signed and ratified by such member countries;

    (4) receiving an invitation from the Secretary General of NATO to 
accede to the Washington Treaty; and

    (5) acceding to the Washington Treaty in accordance with national 
procedures and by depositing instruments of accession;

Whereas, following the terrorist attacks on the United States on September 11, 
        2001, NATO invoked article 5 of the Washington Treaty for the first 
        time, calling on the Alliance to provide for collective defense;
Whereas Lithuania, Latvia, and Estonia, which were among the first Eastern 
        European nations to declare independence from the Soviet Union, formally 
        joined NATO in 2004 and have provided notable support for NATO 
        operations, including--

    (1) operations in Iraq and Afghanistan;

    (2) operations that have been enhanced in response to increased 
threats; and

    (3) operations in response to the invasion of Ukraine by the Russian 
Federation in February 2022;

Whereas, in 2006, the Alliance agreed that each member country would commit at 
        least 2 percent of their Gross Domestic Product to defense spending to 
        ensure sustained readiness;
Whereas the Alliance consists of 31 independent member countries, including 
        Albania, Belgium, Bulgaria, Canada, Croatia, the Czech Republic, 
        Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, 
        Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Montenegro, Netherlands, North 
        Macedonia, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, 
        Turkiye, the United Kingdom, and the United States;
Whereas, in response to the unprovoked and illegal war on Ukraine by the Russian 
        Federation, Finland and Sweden applied for NATO membership in May 2022;
Whereas, during the 2022 NATO Summit in Madrid, Spain, NATO formally extended an 
        invitation to Finland and Sweden to join the Alliance;
Whereas Finland formally ascended to the Alliance on April 4, 2023, as the most 
        recent country to join NATO;
Whereas the accession of Sweden into NATO awaits final ratification by Hungary 
        and Turkiye;
Whereas NATO--

    (1) leads operations in Kosovo and other countries in the Mediterranean 
region to maintain peace and stability;

    (2) supports operations around the world, including in Europe and the 
African Union, to advance priorities of the Alliance; and

    (3) facilitates a training mission in Iraq to develop the capacity of 
the security infrastructure of Iraq;

Whereas, since the further invasion of Ukraine by the Russian Federation on 
        February 24, 2022, which followed the illegal annexation of Crimea by 
        the Russian Federation in 2014, the Alliance is the strongest and most 
        united it has ever been;
Whereas, as the Russian Federation illegally attacks the sovereignty of Ukraine, 
        individual members of the Alliance have contributed essential military 
        and humanitarian assistance to Ukraine, including through the Ukraine 
        Defense Contact Group established by the United States;
Whereas, in response to the brutal war on Ukraine by the Russian Federation, 
        NATO enhanced its presence on the eastern flank of the Alliance by 
        reinforcing existing multinational battlegroups and establishing new 
        multinational battlegroups in Bulgaria, Hungary, Romania, and Slovakia;
Whereas efforts by NATO to bolster the security of the eastern flank and to 
        counter aggression by the Russian Federation followed efforts in 2016 by 
        establishing NATO forward presences in the northeast and southeast of 
        the Alliance;
Whereas the Alliance recognizes the strategic importance of the Black Sea 
        region, which the Russian Federation has tried to weaponize, including 
        by attempting to block shipments of grain from Ukraine through the Black 
        Sea, bringing the world to the brink of a global food security crisis;
Whereas, for the first time in history, the 2022 NATO Strategic Concept 
        recognized that the stated ambitions and coercive policies of the 
        People's Republic of China challenge the interests of the Alliance;
Whereas the Alliance recognizes that deepening ties between the People's 
        Republic of China and the Russian Federation have resulted in immediate 
        and long-term challenges to the rules-based international world order;
Whereas NATO is prepared to respond to existing and emerging threats to 
        transatlantic security;
Whereas Vilnius, Lithuania, will host the 2023 NATO Summit following the 700-
        year jubilee of the city on January 25, 2023;
Whereas the 2023 NATO Summit will highlight the leadership of the Baltic States 
        in NATO and as supporters of democratic values globally;
Whereas Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania are among the top 5 per capita 
        contributors of assistance to Ukraine;
Whereas, despite continued belligerence by the Russian Federation, Estonia, 
        Latvia, and Lithuania have welcomed exiled opposition leaders from the 
        Republic of Belarus and the Russian Federation;
Whereas the choice of Vilnius as the location for the 2023 NATO Summit 
        underscores the Baltic States as vital NATO members and further 
        demonstrates the strength of the Alliance; and
Whereas the 2023 NATO Summit is an opportunity to build upon the work of 
        previous summits to continue strengthening the Alliance and pave the way 
        for new NATO member countries that can join in upholding democratic 
        values: Now, therefore, be it
    Resolved, That the Senate--
            (1) reaffirms that, for 74 years, the unity and strength of 
        North Atlantic Treaty Organization (commonly known as ``NATO'' 
        and the ``Alliance'') has contributed to peace and stability in 
        Europe and around the world;
            (2) celebrates that the 2023 NATO Summit will be held in 
        Vilnius, Lithuania, on July 11 and 12, 2023;
            (3) acknowledges individuals around the world who have 
        served in NATO missions and operations since the Alliance was 
        founded;
            (4) supports the sovereignty of all nations to decide 
        whether to pursue membership to the Alliance;
            (5) urges Hungary and Turkiye to ratify the accession of 
        Sweden to NATO without further delay;
            (6) recognizes that Sweden would bring new and unique 
        capabilities to NATO, which would enable the Alliance to 
        respond to existing and emerging threats to transatlantic 
        security;
            (7) encourages the Alliance to operationalize the 2022 
        Strategic Concept, including by countering the aggressive and 
        coercive behavior exhibited by the People's Republic of China;
            (8) expresses support for the decision of NATO to open an 
        office in Tokyo, Japan, to address pacing challenges to 
        transatlantic security in the Indo-Pacific Region;
            (9) asserts that NATO members should consider the 
        commitment to spend 2 percent of Gross Domestic Product as the 
        lowest percent contribution to ensure the sustainability, 
        resilience, and readiness of the Alliance;
            (10) emphasizes that the Alliance should continue to 
        support Ukraine as it fights for freedom, sovereignty, and 
        territorial integrity; and
            (11) reaffirms the commitment of the United States to meet 
        obligations as a member of the North Atlantic Treaty, done at 
        Washington, DC, April 4, 1949.
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