[Congressional Bills 119th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 2914 Introduced in Senate (IS)]
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119th CONGRESS
1st Session
S. 2914
To strengthen strategic defense cooperation between the United States
and NATO allies on the Eastern Flank, and for other purposes.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES
September 19 (legislative day, September 16), 2025
Mr. Wicker (for himself and Mrs. Shaheen) introduced the following
bill; which was read twice and referred to the Committee on Foreign
Relations
_______________________________________________________________________
A BILL
To strengthen strategic defense cooperation between the United States
and NATO allies on the Eastern Flank, and for other purposes.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the
United States of America in Congress assembled,
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.
This Act may be cited as the ``Eastern Flank Strategic Partnership
Act of 2025''.
SEC. 2. FINDINGS.
Congress makes the following findings:
(1) The frontline North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO)
allies of Bulgaria, Estonia, Finland, Hungary, Latvia,
Lithuania, Poland, Romania, and Slovakia play a critical role
in regional and transatlantic security.
(2) Those NATO allies have demonstrated consistent
commitments to NATO defense spending targets, support for
Ukraine, and forward deployments to deter Russian aggression.
(3) Those NATO allies are on the front line of deterring
and defending against threats from Russia and Belarus, and
require continued United States coordination, defense
cooperation, and security assistance.
(4) Ukraine is on the front line of United States and NATO
security, fighting to defend itself against Russian aggression
that could also be turned upon those same NATO allies.
(5) The United States possesses existing authorities and
tools, including assistance under the Foreign Military
Financing program under section 23 of the Arms Export Control
Act (22 U.S.C. 2763), assistance under section 333 of title 10,
United States Code, transfer of excess defense articles under
section 516 of the Foreign Assistance Act of 1961 (22 U.S.C.
2321j), and the War Reserve Stocks for Allies program
administered under section 514 of the Foreign Assistance Act of
1961 (22 U.S.C. 2321h), that can be used to enhance resilience,
logistics, and interoperability with those NATO allies.
SEC. 3. DEFINITIONS.
In this Act:
(1) Appropriate congressional committees.--The term
``appropriate congressional committees'' means--
(A) the Committee on Armed Services of the Senate;
and
(B) the Committee on Foreign Relations of the
Senate.
(2) Eastern flank strategic defense partner.--The term
``Eastern Flank strategic defense partner''--
(A) means a NATO member state that--
(i) shares a border with, or is in direct
geographic proximity to, the Russian
Federation, the Republic of Belarus, or
Ukraine, and plays a role in the defense of
NATO's Eastern Flank due to its geographic
proximity to those countries;
(ii) has committed to allocating 5 percent
of its gross domestic product annually to
defense by 2035, including at least 3.5 percent
for meeting core defense requirements and NATO
capability targets and 1.5 percent for other
defense- and security-related investments;
(iii) hosts or supports the forward
deployment of NATO military forces, including
rotational deployments; and
(iv) faces persistent threats from hostile
state actors; and
(B) includes Bulgaria, Estonia, Finland, Hungary,
Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, Romania, and Slovakia.
SEC. 4. POLICY AND PRIORITY FOR STRATEGIC DEFENSE COOPERATION.
(a) Statement of Policy.--It is the policy of the United States--
(1) to recognize the critical role of Eastern Flank
strategic defense partners in defending NATO's Eastern Flank,
deterring aggression from hostile state actors, and advancing
transatlantic security;
(2) to prioritize cooperation with Eastern Flank strategic
defense partners in the implementation of defense cooperation
authorities;
(3) to treat Eastern Flank strategic defense partners as
priority recipients of security assistance under security
assistance authorities; and
(4) to support Ukraine, including with the security
assistance necessary to deter Russian aggression against allies
along NATO's Eastern Flank.
(b) Priority.--The Secretary of State and the Secretary of Defense
shall, as appropriate and consistent with law, give priority to Eastern
Flank strategic defense partners for the following:
(1) Assistance under the Foreign Military Financing program
under section 23 of the Arms Export Control Act (22 U.S.C.
2763).
(2) Assistance under section 333 of title 10, United States
Code (relating to authority to build the capacity of foreign
security forces).
(3) Transfer of excess defense articles under section 516
of the Foreign Assistance Act of 1961 (22 U.S.C. 2321j).
(4) Participation in bilateral and multilateral military
exercises, interoperability training, logistics, and forward
mobility planning.
(c) Implementation.--The policy established by subsection (a) and
the priority established by subsection (b) shall be implemented to
reinforce bilateral defense cooperation arrangements, including defense
cooperation agreements, status of forces agreements, and other
bilateral or multilateral agreements.
SEC. 5. STOCKPILING AND PRE-POSITIONING OF DEFENSE ARTICLES.
Consistent with operational requirements and in consultation with
NATO allies, and with the goal of increasing regional deterrence and
reducing strategic response time, the Secretary of Defense shall--
(1) prioritize Eastern Flank strategic defense partners
under the War Reserve Stocks for Allies program administered
under section 514 of the Foreign Assistance Act of 1961 (22
U.S.C. 2321h); and
(2) consider expanding stockpiles under such program in
additional Eastern Flank strategic defense partner countries,
as appropriate.
SEC. 6. CONGRESSIONAL BRIEFING.
Not later than 180 days after the date of the enactment of this
Act, the Secretary of Defense, in coordination with the Secretary of
State, shall brief the appropriate congressional committees on the
implementation of sections 3 and 4, including timelines, goals, and
cooperative mechanisms.
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