US Senate approves boost to $228 million in Baltic defense support in 2024

The U.S. Senate passed a key defense spending bill for the 2024 fiscal year with a bipartisan majority. The bill includes a boost to initiative funding for security cooperation with Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania, increasing the total to $228 million (nearly €208 million). The Senate bill, passed with an 86-11 vote, supports ongoing security cooperation with the Baltic states in response to the Russian Federation's aggression. The bill also requires a report on the implementation of the multi-year security cooperation strategy and spending plan for the Baltic Security Initiative. The National Defense Authorization Act provides a record $831.781 billion (€755.311 billion) defense budget for various defense efforts and social support for service members and their families. Before becoming law, the Senate and House versions of the bill must be reconciled in the fall. Previously, $225 million was approved for Baltic security for the current fiscal year, up from $150 million in 2022.

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