Strengthening the Transatlantic Alliance in the Face of Russian Aggression

Floor Speech

Mr. TURNER. Mr. Speaker, ongoing events in Ukraine, especially the tragedy involving Malaysia Airlines Flight MH17, pose a significant security threat not only to Europe but also the world. Russia's military aggression, its tacit support of pro-Russian Ukrainian separatists, and its use of energy as a political weapon warrant a strong response. The United States and our European allies must take strong and definitive action to strengthen the transatlantic alliance, and stem Russian aggression and its efforts to destabilize the region.

The United States must stand with our European allies and re-emphasize its commitment to a strong security alliance. While I agree with the overall goal of President Obama's European Reassurance Initiative to increase U.S. rotational deployments, allied training, and strategic planning, ultimately this proposal lacks a long-term strategy and commitment to our partnership with Europe. We can and must do more.

That is why I authored H.R. 4433, the Forging Peace through Strength in Ukraine and the Transatlantic Alliance Act, which calls for decisive action to remedy the current crisis in Ukraine and deter greater Russian aggression in Europe. Specifically, the measure would bolster U.S.-Ukraine security relations by seeking to provide technical assistance to the Ukrainian military and increase U.S. intelligence information sharing. H.R. 4433 would also authorize the Secretary of Defense to ensure the operational availability of the Aegis Ballistic Missile Defense system site in Poland and require the deployment of a short-range air and missile defense system to Poland. In addition, the bill would require the Secretary of Defense to stop plans for the relocation and consolidation of U.S. dual-capable aircraft based in Europe, conduct site studies for the construction of weapon storage and security systems and protective aircraft shelters in North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) member countries, and coordinate with NATO countries to assess the possibility of altering the posture of forward deployed U.S. nuclear weapons. Several of the provisions of my legislation are included in the House-passed version of the Fiscal Year 2015 National Defense Authorization Act.

Strengthening the NATO alliance is also a critical component to pushing back against Russian aggression. The partnership between the United States and Europe through NATO has been the bedrock of stability in the region. However, it is clear that Russia seeks to once again destabilize much of Eastern Europe and restore its control over territories lost following the collapse of the Soviet Union. We must provide immediate reassurance to our European allies that the United States remains firm in our commitment to security. We must also make a strong push for the further enlargement of NATO. Specifically, the United States should support the accession of Montenegro, put a full diplomatic press on the issue of resolving the conflict between Macedonia and Greece, seek resolution to the constitutional issues of Bosnia and Herzegovina, and encourage the membership prospects of Georgia through the Membership Action Plan process. In fact, I authored an amendment, which the House approved unanimously, to the House-passed Fiscal Year 2015 National Defense Authorization Act expressing strong support for the ongoing NATO enlargement initiatives.

Bolstering regional and global energy security is another key aspect of the transatlantic alliance. Russia has repeatedly used natural gas pricing to draw governments closer to its orbit and punished West-leaning governments with higher prices. Previous disputes between Ukraine and Russia led to natural gas shutoffs in 2006 and 2009, negatively affecting downstream European countries. In April 2014, Russia's state-owned monopoly, Gazprom, increased the price of natural gas on Ukraine by 80 percent. And in early June 2014, Gazprom cut off natural gas supplies to Ukraine.

The United States must continue to support efforts to help our European allies diversify their energy resources. In fact, multiple U.S. Administrations have previously supported initiatives to supply Europe with alternative and reliable sources of energy, such as the Southern Gas Corridor which will bring natural gas from Azerbaijan to Europe. That is why I authored H. Res. 284, a bipartisan resolution which recognizes the importance of the Southern Gas Corridor to energy security and our strategic partnerships.

At the same time, energy diversification initiatives may offer opportunities to benefit the United States economically. For instance, U.S. companies are involved in the development of growing recent natural gas discoveries in the Eastern Mediterranean, which may help countries in the region to bolster political and economic ties and present another source of energy for Europe. And many of our European allies have expressed strong interest in purchasing U.S. natural gas to help diversify their resources and strengthen their independence.

Increasing U.S. natural gas exports, along with development of other sources such as the Southern Gas Corridor and the Eastern Mediterranean, will help diversify world natural gas supplies and create a more competitive, transparent, and diversified global natural gas marketplace. This will help curb the ability of countries like Russia to use energy as a political weapon.

In fact, U.S. natural gas production has already influenced global markets. Natural gas previously destined for the United States, but no longer needed as a result of increased production, was diverted to other markets. This increased supply has made the global natural gas market more competitive, helping to put pressure on contracts indexed to the price of oil and allowing several European countries to successfully renegotiate their long-term contracts with Gazprom.

Lifting self-imposed restrictions on U.S. natural gas exports will emphasize to our allies that the United States is a strong energy security partner and send an immediate signal to markets that new supplies of natural gas will be available, helping to influence prices and new infrastructure construction decisions. And regardless of where U.S. natural gas is shipped, increasing supply in the global marketplace will help provide international consumers with greater choice and thus increased leverage to negotiate pricing contracts. In fact, Obama Administration officials, including the State Department's energy envoy, Carlos Pascual, have made this very argument.

In addition, fostering a more diverse and competitive global natural gas market can complement U.S. and European sanctions on Russia. Oil and gas receipts constitute more than 50 percent of Russia's federal revenues.

President Obama, in a March 2014 joint statement with European leaders, welcomed U.S. natural gas exports to help our European allies. While I am encouraged by the President's statement, immediate action is needed to put force behind these words.

Over the past several years, I have worked to reduce self-imposed regulatory barriers to exporting U.S. natural gas. Specifically, in the 112th Congress I authored with then-Senator Richard Lugar (R-IN), H.R. 6699, the LNG for NATO Act, which sought to expedite U.S. natural gas exports to NATO countries. In the 113th Congress, I authored with Senator JOHN BARRASSO (R-WY), H.R. 580, the Expedited LNG for American Allies Act, to expedite U.S. natural gas exports to NATO countries, Japan, and other countries of national security interest. I also authored H.R. 4139, the American Job Creation and Strategic Alliances LNG Act, to expedite U.S. natural gas exports to World Trade Organization countries.

And I am an original co-author of H.R. 6, the Domestic Prosperity and Global Freedom Act, which the House recently approved with bipartisan support, to require the Department of Energy to consider natural gas export permit applications in a timely manner. It is imperative that the President work with Congress on these energy security initiatives to follow through on his stated support of global energy security and U.S. natural gas exports.

The United States, in partnership with our European allies, must respond strongly to the ongoing crisis in Ukraine. Reinforcing our defense relationships with Europe, particularly Ukraine and Eastern Europe, strengthening our strategic partnerships through NATO, and enhancing European and global energy security are critical components to bolstering the transatlantic alliance and deterring further Russian aggression in the region.

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