JBANC Report to the Estonian American National Council

The Trump administration’s self-described “unconventional diplomacy” and foreign policy decision-making, as outlined in the recently released National Security Strategy, leaves much to ponder, particularly in its relations with Europe, NATO, and Russia. Its trending force posture moves indicate a scale-down of U.S. troop presence in Europe, which is a cause for concern. Despite this, Secretaries Rubio and Hegseth both publicly acknowledged the exemplary Baltic commitment to defense.

There is more encouraging news for the Baltic states, most importantly, the strong support for continued funding of the Baltic Security Initiative (BSI), which has been a primary focus for the Baltic governments and for the Joint Baltic American National Committee (JBANC). Over the years, we have developed strong relationships with Congress, evidenced by the security priorities in the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA), which was passed by Congress and signed into law on December 18, 2025. The FY2026 NDAA authorizes the Baltic Security Initiative to provide $175 million to support the defense of Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania. It also limits the Department of Defense’s ability to reduce the number of U.S. forces in Europe to fewer than 76,000. The legislation also provides $800 million for Ukraine ($400 million in each of the next two years) as part of the Ukraine Security Assistance Initiative.

JBANC welcomes the bipartisan passage of the NDAA. This year’s NDAA reinforces the “peace through strength” mantra that has sustained the trans-Atlantic security relationship since NATO’s inception. By authorizing European security assistance programs and including measures that limit troop withdrawals from Europe, the NDAA underscores Congress’s support for protecting U.S. interests in Europe.

In the FY26 Defense Appropriations Act, the BSI would be funded at $225 million in the Senate version, with an additional $35 million budget line for air defense. JBANC has closely tracked the reconciliation of the House and Senate versions of both the NDAA and the FY26 Defense Appropriations Act. JBANC also supports provisions preventing unilateral decision-making regarding United States force posture changes in Europe. U.S. troop presence in the Baltics remains a cornerstone of the U.S.-Baltic security relationship, with American forces participating in military exercises alongside multinational battlegroups. American force posture in the Baltics remains paramount in deterring against Russian aggression.

The continued rapid growth of the Baltic Caucuses in Congress is another sign that there is much support for the U.S.-Baltic relationship. The House Baltic Caucus (HBC) surpassed 100 members in August 2025 and is now at 119 members. The Senate Baltic Freedom Caucus has 28 members. On November 19, JBANC and the three Baltic embassies hosted a Baltic Happy Hour reception celebrating caucus growth, with a dozen Members of Congress in attendance and featuring remarks from six members of HBC Congress, including Baltic Caucus co-chairs Representatives Don Bacon and Salud Carbajal.

Ukraine Update: We commend Congress’s decision to support Ukraine by authorizing the Ukraine Security Assistance Initiative, requiring reports on lessons learned from the war in Ukraine, including a Sense of Congress condemning Russia’s illegal abduction of Ukrainian children, supporting investigations against Russia’s war atrocities, and recognizing Russia as the aggressor in its war against Ukraine.

~ Karl Altau, Managing Director, JBANC

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