Rep. Courtney Statement on U.S. Senate Vote to Ratify Finland and Sweden as Members of Nato

NORWICH, CT — Congressman Joe Courtney (CT-02) issued the following statement this evening after the U.S. Senate voted 95-1-1 to ratify a treaty expanding NATO membership to include Finland and Sweden.

“Putin hoped to destabilize Europe and weaken the NATO alliance when he attacked Ukraine, and the exact opposite has happened,” said Rep. Courtney. “NATO is as unified as ever before, and it’s on the verge of a new era with the accession of Finland and Sweden. These are two new member democracies that will provide an outsized value to NATO—both have a long record of supporting human rights and, when it comes to Finland, a strong history of a self-reliant military that will contribute to stability and deterrence in the Scandinavian region. When I had the chance to meet with President Sauli Niinisto of Finland and Deputy Defense Minister Jan Olof-Lind of Sweden after the Madrid Summit in June, it was clear that both nations were going to be watching this vote, and the votes of every other NATO member like a box score. I would have rather seen America at the front of the pack, but for the Senate this was really pushing the speedometer. I’m proud to see America vote in favor of welcoming Finland and Sweden into the NATO alliance.”