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