[Congressional Record Volume 170, Number 114 (Wednesday, July 10, 2024)]
[Senate]
[Page S4346]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




   SENATE RESOLUTION 759--RECOGNIZING THE IMPORTANCE OF THE ALLIANCE 
BETWEEN THE UNITED STATES AND THE BALTIC STATES AND EXPRESSING SUPPORT 
FOR THAT ALLIANCE, INCLUDING FOR THE BALTIC SECURITY INITIATIVE, AMIDST 
                           FOREIGN AGGRESSION

  Mr. DURBIN (for himself, Mr. Grassley, Ms. Stabenow, Mr. Daines, Mr. 
Bennet, Ms. Klobuchar, Mr. Merkley, and Ms. Duckworth) submitted the 
following resolution; which was referred to the Committee on Foreign 
Relations:

                              S. Res. 759

       Whereas the Republics of Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania 
     (referred to in this preamble as ``the Baltic States'') first 
     declared independence in 1918, with the United States 
     establishing diplomatic relations with the Baltic States on 
     July 28, 1922, leading to a strong and unbroken partnership 
     for more than a century;
       Whereas the United States never recognized the occupation 
     of the Baltic States by the Soviet Union after World War II 
     and maintained continuous diplomatic relations with the 
     Baltic States;
       Whereas, in August 1989, approximately 2,000,000 people 
     joined hands in the Baltic States to form a 373-mile human 
     chain known as the ``Baltic Chain of Freedom'';
       Whereas Lithuania became the first occupied Soviet republic 
     to declare the restoration of independence on March 11, 1990, 
     a move followed by Latvia on May 4, 1990, and Estonia on 
     August 20, 1991;
       Whereas, in January 1991, Soviet military forces tried 
     unsuccessfully to quash the growing independence restoration 
     movements of the Baltic States, leading to approximately 14 
     Lithuanian deaths, as well as 6 Latvian deaths and many 
     injuries;
       Whereas, in February and March 1991, the Estonian, Latvian, 
     and Lithuanian people voted overwhelmingly for independence 
     through referendums paving the path for democracy and freedom 
     and the fall of the Soviet Union;
       Whereas, since the restoration of independence, the Baltic 
     States have served as models of democratic governance that 
     share values with the United States, including strong 
     institutions, respect for civil liberties and the rule of 
     law, and modern market economies;
       Whereas the Baltic States continue to demonstrate their 
     enduring commitment to democratic values, peace, and security 
     through their membership and active participation in the 
     North Atlantic Treaty Organization (referred to in this 
     preamble as ``NATO''), the European Union, and the 
     Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development;
       Whereas the Baltic States have been loyal NATO allies and 
     demonstrated their commitment to transatlantic security by 
     exceeding the NATO defense spending goal of not less than 2 
     percent of gross domestic product per year;
       Whereas, since the 2022 Russian full-scale invasion of 
     Ukraine, the Baltic States have demonstrated significant 
     support for Ukraine by providing between 1.3 and 1.6 percent 
     of their gross domestic product in military and humanitarian 
     aid to Ukraine and welcoming more than 130,000 Ukrainian 
     refugees;
       Whereas the Baltic States have faced Russian intimidation, 
     espionage, and cyberattacks since the restoration of 
     independence, and have created total defense strategies to 
     counter aggression by the Russian Federation;
       Whereas the Russian Federation continues to pursue an 
     aggressive disinformation campaign against the Baltic States, 
     including intimidation of Western civilians and troops 
     stationed in Europe and abroad through hacking, propaganda, 
     and other cyberattacks, and has increased air provocations 
     across the Baltic States, including disruptions of civilian 
     air traffic;
       Whereas the unilateral removal of buoys on the Narva River 
     on the Estonian-Russian border in May 2024 by the Russian 
     Federation was another attempt to provoke a NATO ally and 
     illustrates disregard for sovereignty and territorial 
     integrity by the Russian Federation;
       Whereas the Republic of Belarus has embraced the aggression 
     of the Russian Federation by hosting its tactical nuclear 
     weapons and Wagner Group mercenaries, and by inciting 
     insecurity at its border with Lithuania and Poland by pushing 
     migrants over the border;
       Whereas Lithuania has faced severe economic and diplomatic 
     coercion from the People's Republic of China after the 
     establishment of a trade relationship with Taiwan;
       Whereas the presence of the United States Armed Forces in 
     the Baltic States and Poland ensures regional security and 
     complements NATO efforts to strengthen its deterrence and 
     defense posture within the eastern flank of NATO, including 
     an Enhanced Forward Presence posture in the Baltic States, 
     which host multinational NATO battlegroups; and
       Whereas dedicated funding for the Baltic Security 
     Initiative since fiscal year 2021 has helped strengthen 
     United States security cooperation with the Baltic States as 
     well as enhance the national deterrent capabilities of the 
     Baltic States and further develop NATO integration and 
     interoperability: Now, therefore, be it
       Resolved, That the Senate--
       (1) reaffirms the commitment of the United States to the 
     security of Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania through the 
     enduring transatlantic participation of the United States in 
     the North Atlantic Treaty Organization alliance;
       (2) supports continued security assistance for Estonia, 
     Latvia, and Lithuania, including through the Baltic Security 
     Initiative, to further strengthen transatlantic ties; and
       (3) recognizes the contribution of the Estonian, Latvian, 
     and Lithuanian people to transatlantic security and defense 
     while facing constant aggression by the Russian Federation, 
     the Republic of Belarus, and the People's Republic of China.

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