Republican Senators urge US to give “major non-NATO ally" status to Georgia

Republicans in the United States Senate are sponsoring legislation to force US President Barack Obama to grant Georgia, Ukraine and Moldova with the status of "major non-NATO ally”.

This would help facilitate the three countries’ access to military equipment and expand the US and NATO military exercises and training with key non-NATO states.

Those supporting the legislation said awarding the status of "major non-NATO ally” to Georgia, Ukraine and Moldova will allow for streamlined defence cooperation, including expedited purchasing ability of American equipment and easier export control regulations. It will also give preferential access to US arms exports and defence co-operation.

US Senator John McCain released the following statement introducing the Russian Aggression Prevention Act of 2014. He said: "My colleagues and I are introducing this legislation today for one simple reason: The US and European response to Russia’s aggression in Ukraine is failing. 

"It is failing not because we are doing nothing, but because nothing we are doing has changed President Putin’s calculus. This weak response is not deterring Putin, and in fact, it is actually inviting further acts of aggression.”

Key provisions of the Russian Aggression Prevention Act of 2014 are:

• Impose much tougher sanctions on Russia.
• Do more to expose and crack down on Russian corruption and its malign effects, including requiring the US Government to issue a report on the personal net wealth of senior Russian officials, including the President of the Russian Federation.
• Authorize more robust military assistance, such as anti-air, anti-tank, and other defensive weapons, for Ukraine.
• Offer greater support for our allies in central Europe and push for a bolder strategic response from NATO to Putin’s aggression.
• Do more to shore up key partners such as Moldova and Georgia.
• Begin to get more US energy into European markets.

The legislation will provide the authority for US natural gas to be exported to all WTO members, including key countries in Europe and provide support to encourage the US private sector to invest in energy projects in Georgia, Ukraine and Moldova.

It also encouraged investors and companies to develop alternative sources of energy, including oil and gas, and encourage energy efficiency for Ukraine, Georgia, and Moldova, including the development of associated transportation, storage, and refinement facilities.

As for military cooperation, if the three countries were awarded the status of "major non-NATO ally", it did not automatically include a mutual defence pact with the United States. It also did not confer a variety of military and financial advantages that otherwise were not obtainable by non-NATO countries.

Afghanistan was declared the 15th country as a major non-NATO ally by the US Government in 2012.

Also on the list are Argentina, Australia, Bahrain, Egypt, Israel, Japan, Jordan, Kuwait, Morocco, New Zealand, the Philippines, South Korea and Thailand.

The Bill was introduced by 20 of the 45 Republicans in the Senate.