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Russia tests NATO's eastern flank/US approves funding for Baltic states

2026-02-05 11:16:16, Kosova & Bota CNA

The United States Congress has approved a $200 million security assistance fund for the Baltic states, as Russian activity on NATO's eastern flank intensifies.

The funds, approved this week as part of the fiscal year 2026 spending bill, guarantee funding for Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania under the Baltic Security Initiative.

The $838.7 million package, signed by US President Donald Trump on February 3, envisages increased cooperation with the three Baltic states, despite past Pentagon efforts to eliminate them.

About $10 million more has been allocated to Estonia from the program for financing foreign armies, funds that Tallinn has previously used to purchase HIMARS equipment, Javelin missiles and large-caliber artillery shells.

"This is a very good deterrent for our Baltic allies," said Congressman Don Bacon in several responses to Radio Free Europe.

He said that this issue has become a priority after the US Department of Defense signaled a halt to funding for the program.

"Congress is committed to a strong NATO alliance, and we know that greater attention is needed in the Baltics ," he said, adding that history is evidence of the danger posed by abandoning global commitments.

"The majority in Congress are committed to NATO, and we know we need friends to fight China, Russia and Iran. We can't do it alone. America alone is a weakened America," Bacon said.

The three Baltic states, all NATO members and supporters of Ukraine, have seen violations of their territorial spaces by Russian planes and drones in recent months.

Bacon said Russia's war against Ukraine, which is fast entering its fifth year, is a threat beyond Ukraine's borders. He said how the conflict, the bloodiest in Europe since World War II, ends will shape the security environment for the Baltic states and other more fragile neighbors.

"If Ukraine loses, then we should know that Moldova will be next ," he said.

"We must not be neutral. We must stand on the side of freedom and against a bandit dictator."

For the Baltic states, the approval of funds goes beyond budgetary decisions.

Lithuanian Foreign Minister Kestutis Budrys told Radio Free Europe on February 4 that the decision confirms that the region constitutes NATO's front line. Budrys also mentioned other threats to the region, including Russian and Belarusian hybrid operations.

Kristen Taylor, of the Transatlantic Security Initiative at the Atlantic Council, told Radio Free Europe that the legislation was passed at a time of heightened urgency due to Russian activity. According to her, this funding was approved to increase military capabilities for Baltic allies. /REL