Eastern Flank Strategic Partnership Act of 2025

This bill would direct the State and Defense Departments to treat Bulgaria, Estonia, Finland, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, Romania, and Slovakia as priority recipients of Foreign Military Financing (FMF), certain Department of Defense authorities, transfers of excess defense articles, and joint exercises to deter Russian aggression and strengthen interoperability.

• Eastern Flank partners: This bill would define who counts as an "Eastern flank strategic defense partner" and sets a commitment target for partners to allocate 5 percent of GDP to defense by 2035, including at least 3.5 percent for core defense and 1.5 percent for other defense investments.
• Security assistance and training: It would prioritize FMF, assistance under 10 U.S.C. 333, transfers of excess defense articles, and participation in bilateral and multilateral exercises and interoperability training.
• Stockpiles and readiness: The Defense Department would be directed to prioritize these partners under the War Reserve Stocks for Allies program and to consider expanding forward stockpiles in additional partner countries to reduce response time.
• Oversight and coordination: The Secretary of Defense, in coordination with the Secretary of State, would be required to brief the Senate Armed Services Committee and the Senate Foreign Relations Committee within 180 days on timelines, goals, and cooperative mechanisms.