Last Frontier News

Washington, D.C.–U.S. Senators Lisa Murkowski (R-AK), senior member on the Senate Appropriations Committee, Patty Murray (D-WA), Chair of the Senate Appropriations Committee, Chris Coons (D-DE), and Catherine Cortez Masto (D-NV) on June 23 embarked on a congressional delegation (CODEL) to Lithuania, Norway, and Belgium. The Senators’ visit comes just before Lithuania is set to host a NATO Summit in Vilnius from July 11-12. The Senators’ CODELwill take place from June 22 to June 29.

The delegation will meet with U.S. diplomats and host nation government officials, as well as officials from the European Union and NATO, to discuss the importance of maintaining and strengthening our trans-Atlantic alliances and the NATO Alliance, strengthening the international coalition to support Ukraine against Russia’s war of aggression, and promoting shared economic and security priorities in the face of increased competition with the Chinese government. The delegation will also address global issues of mutual interest and concern, including energy security, Arctic priorities, humanitarian needs, and more.

“This trip will be a critical opportunity to meet with our friends and allies across the Atlantic and discuss the important bilateral economic and security ties shared by the U.S. and our partners in Europe,”said Senator Murray.“As Senate Appropriations Chair, I look forward to discussing how we can strengthen our partnerships and seeing firsthand how the investments we make in our nation’s diplomatic and military presence abroad make our country—and the world—safer and more prosperous. We must continue working together to strengthen our rules-based international system, counter Russia’s aggression, support our Ukrainian allies, and build a brighter future on both sides of the Atlantic—and this visit will inform my work in Congress to do just that.”

“As the Arctic Senator, I’m looking forward to this bipartisan congressional delegation visit to northern Europe as we highlight the geostrategic, economic, and security significance of the Far North and its democratic nations—especially as Russia continues its brutal attacks against Ukraine,” said Senator Murkowski. “I thank Senate Appropriations Committee Chairman Murray for inviting me to join this CODEL as we focus on supporting our democratic allies within this important region. I also hope this trip will reinforce to my colleagues the importance of the U.S. investing in the Arctic’s defense and economic capabilities.”

“Protecting American national security means standing with our allies, and this is an important opportunity to show our European partners the strong, bipartisan support they have from the United States,” said Senator Cortez Masto.“During this trip, we will reaffirm our commitment to standing up against Russia’s regional aggression and their continued attacks on the people of Ukraine while strengthening our diplomatic and military ties with our NATO partners.”

Original source can be found here.