Bennet, Durbin, Grassley Demand Trump Administration Swiftly Obligate Congressionally Appropriated Baltic Security Initiative Funding

As Vladimir Putin intensifies aggression around the Baltic region, the Senators request the disbursement of funds by end of the year

Denver— Colorado U.S. Senator Michael Bennet, a member of the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence, joined Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-Ill.), Senator Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa), and other bipartisan colleagues on a letter to Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth and Secretary of State Marco Rubio urging them to swiftly obligate Fiscal Year (FY) 2026 Congressionally appropriated funds for the Baltic Security Initiative (BSI), which a Department of Defense program to bolster the defense capabilities of key U.S. allies Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania. 

“We write to follow up on Fiscal Year (FY) 2026 Congressionally appropriated funds for the Baltic Security Initiative (BSI). Since 2021, the BSI has enhanced the defense capabilities and interoperability of our Baltic allies. We urge you to ensure the swift obligation of this funding and execution of programs considering intensified Russian aggression in the region against key frontline allies,” wrote the senators.

“In light of recent [Russian] airspace incursions, gray-zone tactics, and heightened nuclear warnings against the Baltics, accelerating the delivery of assistance under the BSI must be a priority. We urge disbursement by the end of the calendar year and ask that you provide an update on such plans no later than November 19, 2026,” concluded the senators.

Bennet helped codify the BSI and enhance regional planning as part of the FY26 National Defense Authorization Act, which also included several provisions supporting Ukraine. Bennet leads legislation in the Senate FY27 intelligence and defense bills, both of which have passed their respective committees, to bolster intelligence-sharing and drone cooperation with Ukraine.

Earlier this year, Bennet also joined Durbin and Grassley to introduce the Baltic Security Assessment Act, legislation requiring the Secretaries of State and Defense to report to Congress on emerging threats posed to the Baltics. This past spring, Bennet joined a bipartisan letter demanding that Secretary Hegseth immediately release stalled Ukraine funding and the BSI. 

In addition to Bennet, Durbin, and Grassley, U.S. Senators Tammy Duckworth (D-Ill.), Thom Tillis (R-N.C.), Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.), John Cornyn (R-Texas), Jacky Rosen (D-Nev.), Mark Kelly (D-Ariz.), and Ruben Gallego (D-Ariz.) signed the letter. 

The text of the letter is available HERE and below.

Dear Secretary Hegseth and Secretary Rubio:

We write to follow up on Fiscal Year (FY) 2026 Congressionally appropriated funds for the Baltic Security Initiative (BSI). Since 2021, the BSI has enhanced the defense capabilities and interoperability of our Baltic allies. We urge you to ensure the swift obligation of this funding and execution of programs considering intensified Russian aggression in the region against key frontline allies.

We welcome the BSI spend plan provided by the Department of Defense (DoD) on May 29, 2026, which targets investments in integrated defense, maritime security, irregular warfare, and other critical capabilities as required by statute. On September 15, a second update from DoD indicated that BSI was prioritized for notification and in its final stages of coordination, including with the Department of State. While this is important progress, escalating Russian threats, specifically against the Baltic States, demand more urgent U.S. security assistance. In light of recent airspace incursions, gray-zone tactics, and heightened nuclear warnings against the Baltics, accelerating the delivery of assistance under the BSI must be a priority. We urge disbursement by the end of the calendar year and ask that you provide an update on such plans no later than November 19, 2026.

Thank you for your attention to this important matter.

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