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After visit to region, Edwards warns Putin may next target Baltics

U.S. Rep. Chuck Edwards (second from left) poses with Estonian Foreign Minister Margus Tsahkna and visiting delegation of the U.S. House Appropriations Committee.

By Lightning Reports, Published: July 8, 2024

U.S. Congressman Chuck Edwards, a member of the House Appropriations State, Foreign Operations, and Related Programs Subcommittee, warned following a visit to the Baltic states Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania and Poland that the region could be the next target for Putin's "reign of terror."

“During my visit with these NATO nations, I witnessed firsthand the growing anxiety that is building as Putin continues to take as much territory as he can access," he said. "His reign of terror continues to expand from Ukraine, as Russia is now suspected of committing state-sponsored terrorist activities and an intensified propaganda campaign in the Baltics. Putin has in as much said the Baltics are next."

“After returning from Ukraine in April, I helped pass the Ukraine Security Supplemental Appropriations Act and, most recently, the FY25 State Foreign Operations bill to assist our regional partners as they counter Russia’s encroachment," he added. "We must continue to strengthen our alliance with NATO. When America leads on the global stage, the world is a safer place.”

Since the end of World War II, the United States and Europe have forged a partnership built on our democratic histories and similar economic interests. The 27-member European Union states and the United States are the world’s major global traders, and the 32-member North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) is the alliance designed to address our common foreign policy challenges and defense concerns.

During Edwards’ foreign relations trip, he heard from senior government officials in the Baltic states and Poland about the importance of the Baltic Security Initiative (BSI) in the next five years.

The BSI, a security cooperation agreement with our partners in the Baltics, is one of the largest and most focused investments that the U.S. has made in the region.

In the FY25 defense appropriations bill, the House included and passed $228 million for the BSI. All three Baltic states have fulfilled NATO’s target of spending at least 2 percent of gross domestic product (GDP) on defense for several years. They have already met or made a commitment to increase their contributions to 3 percent of GDP.

As Russia prepares for a long-term confrontation with NATO, including making major investments in its armed forces and increasing its military capabilities westward, its goal is to sustain its war in Ukraine. In as few as three to five years, Russia is expected to militarily test NATO, particularly the Baltic states. It is critical that the gaps in NATO’s capabilities to defend the Baltic region are addressed while also strengthening the Baltic states’ abilities to defend themselves. While the predominant goal is to deter Russia from attacking the Baltic states, it must be stopped from any encroachment into NATO territory.

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