McConnell: Finland, Sweden “important additions” to NATO
WASHINGTON (AP) – Senate Republican leader Mitch McConnell said it on Sunday Finnish and Swedish would be “important additions” to NATO when he led a delegation of GOP senators to the region to show his support; Russian aggression.
McConnell also called on President Joe Biden to designate Russia as a state sponsor of terrorism because of its attack on Ukraine.
McConnell spoke to reporters from Stockholm Finnish and Swedishunlike some members of the Western Alliance, would likely be able to meet their NATO obligations and provide significant military capabilities.
“They are important additions to NATO if they decide to join,” he said, adding, “I think the United States should be the first in line to ratify the agreement so that both countries can join.”
McConnell is a longtime supporter of NATO, and his trip to the Nordic countries with Republican cents Susan Collins of Maine, John Barrasson of Wyoming and John Cornyn follows their journey. a surprise stop on Saturday in the Ukrainian capital to express solidarity in the fight against the Kremlin.
McConnell was in Sweden when leading diplomats from 30 NATO member states met in Berlin to discuss additional support for Ukraine and Efforts by Finland, Sweden and others to join NATO in the face of Russian threats.
Several hours after Finland announced its application to NATO, the Swedish ruling party also supported joining the alliance, which could lead to the country applying in a few days.
The Office of the President of the Republic Sauli Niinisö said that the US legislators will meet with the President to discuss Finland’s NATO membership, the war in Ukraine and other issues. McConnell’s office confirmed the visit.
But NATO Turkey is “not positive” about these two additionsTurkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said on Friday that it made it harder to strengthen the alliance as a deterrent to Russia.
High-level meetings are held with the approval of Congress $ 40 billion in military aid to Ukraine, significant support for the region. The measure includes $ 6 billion for Ukraine in intelligence, equipment and troop training, as well as $ 4 billion in funding to help Ukraine and NATO allies build their armies.
The latest round of aid would raise U.S. aid to Ukraine to more than $ 50 billion, raising concerns from some conservative Republicans in the party’s isolationist wing who are cautious about the cost of foreign spending. The measure stalled in the Senate due to opposition from Senator Rand Paul, R-Ky, but McConnell has decided to make sure it passes next week.
“We’re getting the job done,” McConnell told reporters in a conference call.
McConnell said it was in America’s interest to support Ukraine as he supplanted criticism from some Republicans, including former President Donald Trump, about the level of spending. It is the re-emergence of the Republican Party’s isolated “America First” approach to foreign policy.
McConnell said he told Zelensky that there was huge bipartisan support for helping Ukraine in Congress. “This isn’t the charity we’re here for,” McConnell said. “This is to prevent this group of villains from starting to march across Europe.”
Asked about a resolution tabled in the Senate in which Russia named terrorism as a state sponsor, McConnell said he supported it. But he also said Biden could declare it alone, without congressional action.
“I encouraged him to do it,” McConnell told reporters.
McConnell could not say whether the latest aid package would be the last before the November election. Expenditure in Ukraine has been a campaign issue for some Republican candidates.
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi of California, who has already pushed aid to parliament with votes from both parties, said of the Senate Republicans on CNN’s “State of the Union” program: “They could not pass Ukrainian law as senators went through it.
In a video speech tonight after meeting with Republicans, Zelensky said he believed the senators ’trip showed“ a strong connection between the Ukrainian and American peoples. We discussed various aspects of supporting our country, including defense and funding, and strengthening sanctions against Russia.
It was the second high-profile congressional delegation to stop in Ukraine in so many weeks. Pelosi visited the Democratic Group in the House of Representatives on 1 May and promised Zelensky that the United States would “support you until the battle is over.”
The first woman, Jill Biden, visited western Ukraine last weekend for a mother’s day meeting in Zelensky with his wife Olena Zelenska.
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Associated Press author Jari Tanner from Helsinki participated in this report.