[Congressional Record Volume 168, Number 130 (Wednesday, August 3, 2022)]
[Senate]
[Page S3906]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                                  NATO

  Mr. KING. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent to have the 
following article printed in the Record.
  There being no objection, the material was ordered to be printed in 
the Record, as follows:

             A Unified Senate, and a Unified NATO--Opinion

                   (By Senator Angus King (I-Maine))

       Six months ago, President Vladimir Putin ordered Russian 
     troops to invade Ukraine with no provocation, breaking a 
     European peace that has lasted since the Allies turned back 
     Adolph Hitler's attacks during World War II. Today, this new 
     dictator with delusions of grandeur is threatening global 
     peace, and history shows that we cannot stand by and hope for 
     the best. The free world must defend our shared values; that 
     begins with presenting a united front.
       This week, the U.S. Senate took a historic step to meet 
     that responsibility by voting to approve Sweden and Finland's 
     applications to join the NATO Alliance. The vote was 
     overwhelming, and bipartisan--in total, the applications were 
     approved by a vote of 95 to 1. The result shows that Putin's 
     egregious and brutal power-grab has unified the U.S. Senate--
     just as it has unified the broader global community.
       Since the war in Ukraine began, thousands of innocent 
     Ukrainians have been killed, millions have been forced from 
     their homes, and billions around the globe have been forced 
     to shoulder increased costs on fuel and food. The damage 
     wrought by Putin's forces is nothing short of horrific--but 
     if Putin expected the rest of the world to roll over and 
     accept his invasion, he miscalculated. Badly.
       If you want evidence of this miscalculation, you need look 
     no further than the state of North Atlantic Treaty 
     Organization, which has been reinvigorated in light of 
     Putin's aggression and is only getting stronger. A wide range 
     of countries have come together to provide military and 
     humanitarian aid to help Ukrainians stand strong. Beyond 
     supporting Ukraine during the current crisis. NATO members 
     have also reaffirmed their commitment to one another in the 
     event of further Russian aggression.
       The crisis also prompted Sweden and Finland--two proud and 
     strong nations that have long remained neutral--to seek 
     accession into NATO. The addition of the two Nordic nations 
     will make NATO stronger and more unified in the face of 
     Putin's misguided and murderous ambitions to rebuild the 
     Soviet Union.
       I saw the potential benefits of these new additions earlier 
     this year, when I traveled to Finland as part of a bipartisan 
     congressional delegation (called a CODEL) shortly after they 
     formally requested NATO membership. My colleagues and I met 
     with the nation's president and his top defense officials to 
     discuss the nation's position in the current state of play. 
     Finland has a long history of dealing with Russia--a 
     necessity, given the two nations' shared 800-mile border. 
     They also have a very capable military, as does Sweden.
       Combined, the two nations will strengthen the defensive 
     capabilities of NATO--and I must stress the importance of 
     NATO's defensive nature. NATO's charter does not require 
     member nations to enter into proactive military activities; 
     rather, military action is only invoked in collective 
     defense. This is why Russian accusations of new threats posed 
     by a larger NATO are flat-out false; the only way these new 
     additions could create conflict between Russia and NATO is if 
     Russia intends to launch yet another violent invasion of a 
     peaceful neighbor.
       On the heels of the Senate's overwhelming vote, I am 
     hopeful that Finland and Sweden's applications will move 
     forward swiftly. The lone NATO member that has expressed 
     hesitancy to admit the new members, Turkey, has also 
     demonstrated a willingness to waive its concerns if certain 
     conditions are met. Our bipartisan CODEL also traveled to 
     Turkey shortly after we left Finland, seeking to talk through 
     their concerns and address their needs through tangible 
     actions. My Senate colleagues and I left our meetings 
     optimistic that the differences between Turkey and the Nordic 
     nations can be resolved--and it now appears this is the case.
       This week's vote and our trip to Eastern Europe has made 
     one thing abundantly clear: the free world stands united 
     against Vladimir Putin's would-be empire building, and is 
     ready to respond against his illegal and immoral military 
     attacks. NATO, the United States, and the U.S. Senate will 
     not allow him to destroy freedom-loving nations; we will 
     stand with our allies, as we have in the past, united against 
     deposition.
  (At the request of Mr. Sullivan, the following statement was ordered 
to be printed in the Record.)

                          ____________________