[Congressional Record Volume 168, Number 126 (Thursday, July 28, 2022)]
[Senate]
[Page S3768]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]



                                  NATO

  Mr. RISCH. Mr. President, I rise today, colleagues, to urge the 
Senate to proceed quickly--quickly--to the consideration of the 
accession protocols for Finland and Sweden to join NATO.
  Once again the Senate has been given the responsibility of offering 
advice and consent to ratifying the accession of two new members to the 
North Atlantic Treaty Organization. We have been advising aggressively 
for quite some time, and it is time now to move to the consent portion 
of getting this done. NATO is the most successful political-military 
alliance in history. It helped bring down the Soviet Union, and it 
united Europe so it could rebuild economically.
  The Senate has the opportunity to expand NATO and bring both Finland 
and Sweden into the alliance. Over the years, these countries never 
sought membership. They were content to just partner with NATO, but 
they did not join. However, Putin's attempt to rewrite the security 
landscape in Europe with his invasion of Ukraine convinced the people 
of Finland and Sweden that they should become formal members of NATO. 
Why wouldn't they?
  After the past 2 weeks--and really the entire summer--the Senate 
Foreign Relations Committee has carefully considered and discussed the 
prospective membership of our longtime partners, Finland and Sweden.
  The Senate has already shown bipartisan support for Finland and 
Sweden joining NATO. As my colleagues and I have laid out in a 
resolution of support in public statements at Senate Foreign Relations 
Committee meetings and hearings in June and in the committee report 
submitted to the floor along with the protocols, Finland and Sweden 
will make model members of the NATO alliance.
  Once approved by all 30 current members of NATO, these two nations 
will become integral members of the alliance. Both have strong and 
capable militaries and are already net contributors to the security 
alliance. Although militarily unaligned for decades, Finland and Sweden 
have long defended Europe's high north--a region becoming even more 
important with the competition from Russia and China in the Arctic.
  Both have already demonstrated the interoperability and commitment 
necessary to join the alliance. Finland already spends more than 2 
percent of its GDP on defense, and Sweden laid out its plan to reach 
that mark shortly--both requirements for joining NATO.
  These countries also bring additional capabilities to NATO. Both are 
intimately familiar with the north and east flank of Europe. Finland 
also trains U.S. forces in cold weather operations and the Finnish Navy 
is especially suited to operate and defend the Baltic Sea, where some 
Navy ships have less maneuverability, being a blue-water Navy.
  They have both participated in NATO missions in Afghanistan, the 
Balkans, and Iraq. In fact, these countries operated with less 
restrictions on their militaries in these missions than other NATO 
members. Finland and Sweden also share our democratic values, have 
strong military and defense industries, and extensive experience in 
Russian matters.
  One only has to take a look at a map to see the benefits of adding 
Finland and Sweden to NATO. With their proximity to the Baltic States--
the Baltic States, which are small--they are well-positioned to provide 
support, if needed, to our current Baltic NATO allies, just as the rest 
of NATO would if the Baltic States have a problem with Russia.
  Adding these two nations as full members to our alliance will further 
deter any temptation by Russia to engage in military adventurism in the 
Baltic area or the Arctic regions. Although my sense is Russia has 
already learned this year of the ineptitude, clumsiness, and just plain 
inabilities of its way-overrated military, which can't even win against 
a small, substantially less-equipped adversary, even when Russia used 
barbaric medieval tactics. Russia's efforts have been pitiful and, at 
the same time, despicable.
  Many Senators have already given firm statements of support for this 
succession, and we deserve the timely chance to make our support known 
through a vote. Let's get on with it.
  There are few things more important than voting on accession for 
Finland and Sweden to NATO. This accession process is an important 
chance for the United States to demonstrate leadership in NATO and 
commitment to its modernization and, very importantly, NATO's future.
  When the shooting is over in Ukraine, it won't be over. There is no 
doubt that NATO is going to take a long, hard look at what it is doing, 
what its priorities are, and, very importantly, hardening the eastern 
and northern flanks.
  Since this wave of NATO enlargement was first announced, the Senate 
Foreign Relations Committee has carefully consulted and coordinated 
with our NATO allies, the governments of Sweden and Finland, with the 
administration, and within the Senate itself to ensure this process can 
move as efficiently and quickly as possible. I can't count the number 
of meetings and conversations we have had in this regard.
  We now have only one step left until ratification, and it makes no 
sense to dillydally at this stage. There should be no issue with moving 
this treaty as quickly as possible. The Senate's quick ratification of 
Finland and Sweden as new members of NATO will both send a strong 
message of transatlantic unity to a now foundering Russia and will 
strengthen NATO against Russia's growing threat.
  I yield the floor.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator from Delaware.