Today, 3 February, the US Congress approved the US defence budget and the budget for overseas missions, which also include security assistance for the Baltic States. In the defence budget, Congress allocates $200 million to the US–Baltic defence assistance programme, the Baltic Security Initiative (BSI), and in the overseas missions budget, $10 million to Estonia through the defence assistance programme Foreign Military Financing (FMF).
“Over the years, US security assistance has been an important supplement to Estonia’s own steadily increasing defence investments and has enabled us to accelerate a number of capability developments. The continuation of security assistance to the Baltic States confirms the United States’ ongoing commitment to strengthening the deterrence and defence posture on NATO’s eastern flank,” Foreign Minister Tsahkna said. “Estonia highly values the support of the US Congress and the American people in ensuring security in our region.”
The foreign minister added that Estonia itself is also taking the strengthening of the country’s defence capability with the utmost seriousness, investing more than 5% of GDP in defence this year and thereby reaching, as one of the first Allies, the new defence spending level agreed at the NATO summit in The Hague.
The Baltic Security Initiative (BSI) was established in 2020 with the aim of developing the Baltic States’ independent defence capabilities and their interoperability with one another. Through the BSI, a total of $231 million was allocated to Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania in 2025; $228 million in 2024; $225 million in 2023; $180 million in 2022; and $169 million in 2021. The BSI is divided differently among the Baltic States each year according to capability needs.
In addition to the BSI, over the years security assistance has also been allocated to the Baltic States through the US Department of State support programme Foreign Military Financing (FMF). Through FMF, Estonia has been allocated $10 million in 2025; $9.8 million in 2024; $9.8 million in 2023; $168.5 million in 2022; and $21.1 million in 2021. Estonia’s exceptionally large FMF allocation in 2022 was intended for the procurement of ammunition for the HIMARS multiple rocket launcher system.
Funds allocated through both the BSI and FMF are used to procure US defence industry equipment, services or training. In addition to HIMARS ammunition, US security assistance has been used to acquire equipment supporting integrated air and missile defence capabilities, communications and connectivity systems, night-vision devices, ammunition – including Javelin missiles and large-calibre artillery shells – coastal surveillance radars, monitoring systems, and battlefield medical supplies.
Additional information:
Communication Department
[email protected]