Inhofe, Lankford back Finland, Sweden for NATO
Oklahoma’s US senators, Jim Inhofe and James Lankford, both voted for NATO membership for Finland and Sweden.
The two European nations received sweeping bipartisan support from the US Senate in their bid to join NATO, the major European counterforce to Russian aggression in the region.
In emailed comments, Inhofe, the ranking member of the Senate Armed Services Committee and a member of the Senate Ukraine Caucus, said Finland and Sweden have both already contributed to NATO and US security in Europe. Once they join NATO, their contribution will grow, he said.
“Amidst Russia’s reckless invasion of Ukraine, Putin trying to bully and intimidate his NATO neighbors, and both Russia and China using military and economic power to control Europe, voting to ratify Finland’s and Sweden’s accession to NATO was a no-brainer “, Inhofe said.
Inhofe said Finland spends 2% of its gross domestic product on defense, fields one of Europe’s largest armies and recently signed a deal to buy 64 F-35 fighter jets, which will increase its interoperability with the United States and many other nations. Sweden plans to reach the 2% benchmark, he said, and this year approved a 40% increase in its defense budget while making investments to support NATO’s deterrence of Russian aggression against Ukraine.
“In addition to their militaries, Sweden and Finland are key partners in mitigating and deterring threats from various hostile actors. Every nation is home to telecommunications companies that provide competitive, viable alternatives to China’s Huawei,” said the outgoing Republican senator. “They also take strong positions against Russian interference and coercion in the increasingly important Arctic region. And they have consistently made meaningful contributions in support of US-led efforts to combat terrorism around the world.
In a statement, Lankford said that adding Sweden and Finland will increase NATO’s ability to maintain peace in the future.
“As we face growing challenges in Asia, we cannot spend our time looking over the shoulder at Europe. By adding strong allies in Europe, our nation can turn our attention to other threats and remain a world leader,” the Republican lawmaker said.
Until Russia started its war against Ukraine, Sweden and Finland had long avoided military alliances.
Approval from all NATO member states – currently 30 – is required. The candidacies of the two prosperous northern European countries have won ratification by more than half since they applied for membership.