US grants $169 million in military aid to Baltic nations for 2021

The aid earmarked through a new joint US-Baltic security program was included in the US defence appropriations bill approved by Congress and signed into law on Tuesday. In a Twitter post, Estonia’s Defence Ministry called the move “important & highly appreciated news”.

The United States has allocated $169 million in military aid to the Baltic countries of Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania for 2021, the Estonian Defense Ministry said Wednesday.

Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania are former Soviet republics which joined NATO in 2004 (MoD Estonia on Twitter)

The aid earmarked through a new joint US-Baltic security program was included in the US defence appropriations bill approved by Congress and signed into law on Tuesday. In a Twitter post, Estonia’s Defence Ministry called the move “important & highly appreciated news”

Washington has provided military assistance before to the three Baltic nations, which are the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) members. However, the Estonian ministry said this was the first time the aid is being allocated through a dedicated program, the Baltic Security Initiative.

Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania are former Soviet republics which joined NATO in 2004. All three countries border Russia.

“The decision by the US Congress demonstrates that our strongest ally is committed to the defence of our region and understands the security challenges here,” Estonian Defence Minister Juri Luik said in a statement.

He said the measure confirmed that “the United States sees Estonia and the Baltic states as trustworthy allies who take their commitment to defence seriously” by investing into their national defence capabilities and contributing to NATO operations.

From late September to early November, the US Cyber Command held a joint operation with Estonia to help the nation search out and block potential cyber-threats from Russia.