Biden asks Congress to approve NATO’s bid from Finland, Sweden
Finland and Sweden took a step closer to full NATO membership when President Biden formally asked Congress to approve the alliance’s expansion in the wake of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
White House on Saturday released two letters which Biden sent to important congressional committees, along with two separate reports on the suitability of the Scandinavian nations to join the defense group after seven decades of neutrality.
The President’s announcements were formally launched the “advice and consent” process. that NATO requires each member to commit before new members can be added.
In the United States, that means approval by two-thirds votes in the Senate – a vote that is generally expected to succeed, after 80 senators signed a letter approves NATO’s expansion plan in May.
Biden lavishly praised Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan in Madrid on Wednesday when the dictator dropped his objections to the new members.
Traditionally neutral Finland and Sweden applied for membership in May when Russia’s months-long invasion of Ukraine put them under increasing threat from their eastern neighbor.