Biden Formalizes US Support for Sweden, Finland NATO Membership

AUG 3 2022·Updated AUG 10 2022

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Image credit: Reuters [via CNBC]

The Facts

On Tues., Pres. Biden signed ratification documents formally endorsing Finland's and Sweden's accession to NATO.
CNBC
This comes a week after the Senate ratified it by 95 to 1, far exceeding the two-thirds majority required and showing bipartisan support for this historic move from the Nordic countries following the war in Ukraine.
nytimes
The ratification process was the fastest in the Senate since 1981 and has made the US the 23rd NATO ally to formally approve the membership of Finland and Sweden.
Al Jazeera
All 30 NATO member states must agree to the new membership. The Nordic duo applied to join the alliance in May, breaking with their longtime military neutrality.
guardian
The Czech Republic, Greece, Hungary, Portugal, Slovakia, Spain and Turkey haven't ratified their support yet, but most of them are expected to do so by the end of September.
www.ft.com
Turkey may pose resistance as Pres. Erdoğan has declared that unless Finland and Sweden extradite dozens of Turkish officials they label "terrorists," Ankara won't vote for accession.
Al Jazeera

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The Spin

Establishment-critical narrative

Unless European countries take on more responsibility within the alliance, a NATO expansion - which means more spending, more troops, and more military hardware in Europe - will make the US even more vulnerable. With increased aggression from China, along with a potential war with Russia, the US is at risk of going to war with both countries. America needs to reevaluate its security priorities.

The National Interest

Pro-establishment narrative

This approval sends a strong signal to authoritarian leaders that free democracies are willing to fight them to protect their values. More than that, it also strengthens the alliance as Finland and Sweden have powerful militaries and are committed to the 2% GDP defense spending target.

Military