Staff Reports
On Wednesday, the United States Senate approved a pact that would allow Sweden and Finland to join NATO.
The New York Times stated that the treaty gained bipartisan support and passed 95-1 in favor of enlarging NATO. Senators Chuck Schumer and Mitch McConnell expressed their support for the treaty's ratification as well as its expansion.
According to the New York Times, only Republican Sen. Josh Hawley of Missouri voted against the deal.
According to Schumer, "Our NATO alliance is the bedrock that has guaranteed democracy in the Western world since the end of World War II."
Russia's invasion of Ukraine has prompted Sweden and Finland to seek NATO membership, according to a statement from the Department of Defense. Russia is right across the border in Finland.
While historically neutral or hesitant to participate in military combat, Sweden and Finland have always maintained their neutrality. In the wake of Vladimir Putin's invasion, however, they have undertaken a historic shift in their foreign policy, and they hope to join the United Nations.
Entries must be approved by all thirty members of the alliance if they are not rejected. If all signatories ratify the agreement, NATO will have 32 members.
Republican Sen. Josh Hawley of Missouri was one of the few Senate Republicans to oppose the treaty's ratification, in spite of the overwhelming bipartisan support. The Hill stated that Hawley objected to the ratification, stating that the United States should focus more on China than Russia.
Hawley slammed the decision on the Senate floor, saying that those who supported it were foolish and that while the alliance was beneficial to Sweden and Finland, it was not beneficial to the United States. He urged Europe to stand up for itself and rely on the United States for support.
The preceding is a summary of an article that originally appeared on WND.
