119-s2914

[Congressional Bills 119th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 2914 Introduced in Senate

    (IS) ]

<DOC>

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.
 <all>