[Congressional Record Volume 168, Number 121 (Thursday, July 21, 2022)]
[House]
[Page H6941]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                            NATO MEMBERSHIP

  (Mr. LANGEVIN asked and was given permission to address the House for 
1 minute and to revise and extend his remarks.)
  Mr. LANGEVIN. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to welcome the soon-to-be 
newest members of NATO: Finland and Sweden.
  Although the conflict in Ukraine has begun to fall out of the news 
cycle, the free world continues to be challenged by a violent autocrat 
with delusions of grandeur, making the strength of NATO all the more 
important.
  Every day, Vladimir Putin has demonstrated his willingness to kill 
and maim countless innocent civilians and trample international norms 
in hopes of reclaiming the glory of a long-gone empire.
  By invading Ukraine, Putin expected to fracture the world's response, 
dividing the United States and our NATO allies. Instead, he has done 
just the opposite.
  Led by the United States, the international community has stood in 
lockstep with the people of Ukraine. And now, we are expanding the 
roster of NATO countries, creating a stronger and more united 
membership than ever before.
  Finland and Sweden's accession to NATO will bolster our collective 
security and serve as a warning to Russia and to all other global 
aggressors: The United States and the international community are more 
united than ever before. We will never tolerate attempts to expand 
sovereign borders through force, not in Ukraine, not anywhere.

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