[Congressional Record Volume 171, Number 105 (Wednesday, June 18, 2025)]
[Senate]
[Pages S3475-S3476]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
SENATE RESOLUTION 291--CELEBRATING THE JUNE 2025 NORTH ATLANTIC TREATY
ORGANIZATION SUMMIT IN THE HAGUE, THE NETHERLANDS, AND REAFFIRMING
PRIORITIES PERTAINING TO TRANSATLANTIC SECURITY AND OUR COMMITMENT TO
NATO
Mrs. SHAHEEN (for herself and Mr. Tillis) submitted the following
resolution; which was referred to the Committee on Foreign Relations:
S. Res. 291
Whereas the June 2025 NATO Summit (also known as the
``Hague Summit''), which will take place on June 24th and
25th, 2025 in the Hague, the Netherlands, will convene all 32
NATO Allies and many NATO Partners, including Ukraine and the
Indo-Pacific nations of Australia, Japan, New Zealand, and
the Republic of Korea;
Whereas the Hague Summit will take place during the fourth
year of the Russian Federation's unprovoked, illegal, full-
scale war against Ukraine;
Whereas, following calls from the United States Government
to increase defense spending among European Allies, the Hague
Summit is expected to revise NATO Allies' defense spending
pledge from 2 percent of each country's gross domestic
product that was agreed to through the 2014 Wales Summit
Declaration, to a reported target of 5 percent of each
country's gross domestic product, which includes a commitment
to spend 1.5 percent of each country's gross domestic product
on investments in defense-related infrastructure and
capabilities;
Whereas Article 10 of the North Atlantic Treaty, done at
Washington April 4, 1949--
(1) establishes NATO's open-door policy; and
(2) permits the admission of any European country whose
government is willing and able to contribute to the security
of the North Atlantic area and assume the requirements and
responsibilities of membership;
Whereas NATO continues to provide critical leadership to
maintain stability in the Western Balkans, particularly
through the Kosovo Force (KFOR) and NATO Headquarters
Sarajevo in Bosnia and Herzegovina, which closely coordinates
with the Armed Forces of Bosnia and Herzegovina and Operation
Althea, the European Union force that is responsible for
overseeing the implementation of the General Framework
Agreement for Bosnia and Herzegovina (also known as the
``Dayton Agreement'' or the ``Dayton Accords''), done at
Dayton November 21, 1995;
Whereas each NATO communique since the Russian Federation's
full-scale invasion of Ukraine has acknowledged Russia as a
significant and direct threat to NATO Allies;
Whereas the Russian Federation, in addition to continuing
its campaign of aggression and violence against the people of
Ukraine, has conducted hybrid warfare against NATO Allies,
including by weaponizing its energy exports, destroying
undersea cables, and perpetrating cyberattacks;
Whereas the Hague Summit will invite Ukrainian President
Volodymyr Zelenskyy to discuss NATO's continued support for
Ukraine's defense against Russian aggression.
Now, therefore, be it
Resolved, That the Senate--
(1) reaffirms the enduring bipartisan commitment of the
United States Senate to the North Atlantic Treaty and the
United States' obligations to NATO's collective defense under
Article 5 of the Treaty;
(2)(A) welcomes increased defense spending by NATO Allies;
(B) recognizes that 23 NATO Allies have met their Wales
Summit pledge to spend at least 2 percent of their gross
domestic product on defense; and
(C) encourages the remaining NATO Allies to accelerate
efforts to meet such target;
(3) welcomes the ambition of the Hague Summit to increase
the defense and defense-related spending target to 5 percent
of gross domestic product and encourages the United States
Government to meet this benchmark;
(4) continues to support the open-door policy permitting
any European nation to consider pursuing NATO membership;
(5)(A) acknowledges NATO's role in promoting peace and
stability in the Western Balkans; and
(B) encourages NATO to sustain a robust focus on this
region, especially in Bosnia and Herzegovina; and
(6) welcomes NATO's continued support for Ukraine through
the Ukraine Defense Contact Group and the Compressive
Assistance Package for Ukraine and encourages all NATO Allies
to continue significant support for Ukraine in sustaining its
fight against Russian aggression.
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