RIGA, Oct 11 (LETA) - The overwhelming bipartisan support of the US Senate for further funding of military assistance to the Baltic States is a strong testament to our strategic partnership, believes Latvian Foreign Minister Baiba Braze (New Unity).

The Foreign Ministry informed LETA that the US Senate's decision confirms that the US and the Baltic States share a common understanding of the need to further deepen defense cooperation.

The decision has now been adopted by both the House of Representatives and the Senate, and the next procedure is for the two chambers to agree on the final wording of the law, and once this is done, the decision on the promulgation of the law will be taken by US President Donald Trump, the ministry explained.

"The Baltic States have shown that they are reliable allies of the United States. In 2026, we will invest 5 percent of our gross domestic product in defense. Since taking office, I have made seven working visits to the US. US officials have underlined in various formats that the Baltic States are model allies," said Braze.

As reported, the United States Senate on Thursday evening voted on a significantly boosted Baltic Security Initiative (BSI) defense package.

The spending, which includes an "ironclad commitment" to Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania, comes as part of the overall defense spending portion of the US budget, which totals USD 925 billion, Kyiv Post reported.

The Fiscal Year 2026 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) passed the Senate with 77 votes to 20 late Thursday but now needs to be reconciled with the House version before it can be enacted.

The BSI component of the NDAA will be around a half more than in recent years, at USD 350 million across all three Baltic states for each year 2026-2028.

"This is a much stronger commitment than the House version," a senior official told Kyiv Post, noting that the Senate's approach makes it more likely that the program will be fully established and resourced.

Financial allocation given by the U.S. to the security of all three Baltic states stood at USD 225 million in 2023, rising to approximately USD 228 million the following year and to approximately USD 231 million for 2025.

The BSI was established in 2020 to enhance the independent defense capabilities of the Baltic States and improve interoperability between all three.

A proposal from 12 members of the United States Senate Committee on Foreign Relations received that committee's approval in March this year, to allocate the USD 350 million to the three Baltic states in each fiscal year from 2026 to 2028.

In addition, the Senate bill authorizes the delivery of HIMARS rocket systems to the Baltic states.

This will significantly enhance the rapid arming of the Baltic states and their continued support for Ukraine. Furthermore, the bill includes provisions to bring tanks to Estonia to replace HIMARS, further strengthening defense capabilities in the region.

BSI funds are also earmarked for modernizing the Baltic states' militaries and improving interoperability with US and NATO forces, which is critical given Russia's increasing activity in the region.