The US House of Representatives voted in favor of NATO membership for Finland and Sweden. The Senate’s position is expected by the beginning of August at the latest.
10:03•Updated 10:26
The House of Representatives of the United States Congress has approved a resolution that supports the accession of Finland and Sweden to NATO.
However, the matter is actually decided by the senate, which is responsible for ratifying international agreements. There, the decision requires two-thirds approval.
The foreign affairs committee of the Senate will meet this week and discuss Finland’s and Sweden’s NATO membership, the foreign minister estimates Pekka Haavisto To yesterday, Monday.
– Apparently, the entire Senate vote has been timed so that it would take place before the Senate’s summer break, which begins on August 4. It is of course of great symbolic importance that the United States will be included in this, Haavisto states.
Finland’s and Sweden’s NATO membership is also expected to receive broad support from the Senate, as both Democrats and Republicans have strongly supported the membership projects. The Senate’s foreign affairs committee said already at the beginning of June that it supports the accession of Finland and Sweden to NATO.
“Two excellent new members”
In the House of Representatives, 394 representatives voted for the resolution and 18 against. All opponents were Republicans. Two Democrats and 17 Republicans abstained.
House Majority Leader, Democrats Steny Hoyer expressed his support for the decision during the hearing by saying that the community will get two new, excellent members, says the online publication The Hill (you switch to another service).
According to him, Finland and Sweden bring a considerable addition to NATO’s common defense and make the Baltic region stronger against Russian aggression.
– What’s even more important: their values bring added value to the alliance, said Hoyer.
Also a member of the Republican Ohio Michael Turner said that Finland and Sweden bring significant additional security to NATO.
The support of the House of Representatives is not a surprise, as the United States has on several occasions expressed its clear support for membership.
Half of all NATO countries have already ratified Finland’s and Sweden’s NATO applications. The countries are listed in ‘s NATO calculator.