The Senate overwhelmingly supports NATO membership for Finland, Sweden
“A year ago, no one would have believed that Sweden and Finland would have wanted NATO membership,” Sen said. Jeanne Shaheen (DN.H.), who co-chairs the Senate NATO Observer Group. “But of course a lot happened in that year. Vladimir Putin made one of the most consequential miscalculations in modern history.”
Putin has long feared an expansion of the alliance to include nations bordering Russia as well as former Soviet states. Finland and Sweden have been proud of their independence, but Russia’s war in Ukraine changed the thinking of both countries. Finland in particular is a great addition to the alliance as it shares an 800 mile long border with Russia.
Just a senator, Josh Hawley (R-Mo.), voted against the treaty — raising concerns about expanding NATO and remaining involved in Europe’s security challenges while the U.S. struggles to contain China’s rise. However, supporters say that if Finland and Sweden joined the alliance, it would reduce the burden on the United States, by far NATO’s largest contributor. Both Scandinavian countries have developed technologically and have capable militaries.
Hawley’s opposition has reignited a battle within the Republican Party over foreign policy — a battle that prompted some of his fellow GOP senators to call him out, though not by name.
“If any senator is looking for a defensible excuse to vote no, I wish them well,” Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell said. “This is a slam dunk for national security that deserves unanimous bipartisan support.”
Late. Tom Cotton (R-Ark.), who along with Hawley is widely believed to be considering a future presidential run, went even further by slanting refers to Hawley’s support for the admission of North Macedonia to NATO in 2019.
“It would be really strange for any senator who voted for Montenegro or North Macedonia to join NATO to turn around and deny membership to Finland and Sweden,” Cotton said. “I would love to hear the defense of such a curious voice.”
Late. Rand Paul (R-Ky.), who opposed the accession of Montenegro and North Macedonia and has generally been skeptical of NATO, voted “present.”
The Senate resoundingly rejected Paul’s amendment to the treaty earlier Wednesday that would have placed conditions on Article 5 of the NATO charter — the provision that requires all member states to come to the defense of a NATO partner when it comes under attack. Paul’s addition would have made clear that Article 5 “does not supersede” Congress’s constitutional authority to declare war.
Chairman of Foreign Relations in the Senate Bob Menendez (DN.J.) said that an amendment was not necessary because “the Constitution of the United States rules in all our actions.”
Separately, the Senate unanimously passed an amendment from Sen. Dan Sullivan (R-Alaska) that reinforces the alliance’s requirement that members spend at least 2 percent of their GDP on defense. Former President Donald Trump, who once called NATO “obsolete” and toyed with the idea of pulling the United States out of the alliance, publicly pressed U.S. allies to meet the defense spending threshold.