Kinzinger says Three Seas Initiative pushes back against Russia’s ‘power grabs’

U.S. Rep. Adam Kinzinger (R-IL) is the lead original cosponsor of a bipartisan resolution calling for support of the Three Seas Initiative to help increase energy independence and infrastructure connectivity overseas that in turn would bolster American and European national security.

Rep. Kinzinger on Oct. 31 introduced House Resolution (H.Res.) 672 with sponsor U.S. Rep. Marcy Kaptur (D-OH) and 13 other cosponsors, including U.S. Reps. Mike Turner (R-OH) and William Keating (D-MA).

“I’m proud to introduce this resolution with my colleague, Representative Marcy Kaptur, and applaud her commitment to helping our allies with clean energy projects as we push back on the power grabs by Putin,” Rep. Kinzinger said.

If enacted, H.Res. 672 would stipulate that the U.S. House of Representatives supports the Three Seas Initiative (3SI), a strategic partnership of 12 Central and Eastern European nations — Austria, Bulgaria, Croatia, Czech Republic, Estonia, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, Romania, Slovakia, and Slovenia — that seeks to foster energy autonomy and resilience by cooperatively financing new infrastructure projects that would ramp up connectivity between the Adriatic, Baltic, and Black Seas and reduce their energy reliance on Russia.

“Russia has long used energy as a weapon to coerce and manipulate our European allies,” Rep. Kinzinger added. “As American energy production continues to rise, we have an opportunity to support our allies in Central and Eastern Europe with an alternative.”

The congressman added that the 3SI would “bolster energy independence and infrastructure security in the region, and further show U.S. support in the face of increased Russian and Chinese influence over these countries.”

Rep. Kaptur also pointed out that the “resolution makes clear America’s strong support for the Initiative and it encourages the member nations to consider financing of clean energy projects as the world addresses dire climate change crises.”