Biden Sends Finland's, Sweden's NATO Accession Protocols to US Senate for Ratification

WASHINGTON (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 12th July, 2022) President Joe Biden has sent to the US Senate the protocols for the accession of Finland and Sweden to NATO and asked the upper chamber of Congress for approval.

"I transmit herewith, for the advice and consent of the Senate to its ratification, the Protocols to the North Atlantic Treaty of 1949 on the Accession of the Republic of Finland and the Kingdom of Sweden," Biden said in a message to the Senate on Monday. "I ask the Senate to continue working with my Administration in advancing a strong and free Europe by providing its prompt advice and consent to ratification of the Protocols."

Biden also said the United States encourages all allies to act expeditiously to ratify Finland and Sweden's accession to the military alliance.

In May, Finland and Sweden submitted membership applications to NATO, abandoning decades of neutrality due to a shift in the European security environment that they said was caused by Russia's special military operation in Ukraine.

The membership bids were initially blocked by Turkey due to their long-standing support for the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK), which Ankara considers a terrorist organization and threat to its national security.

However, the three countries signed a security memorandum and unblocked the accession process last month prior to the NATO summit in Madrid, agreeing to bolster cooperation on counterterrorism, including against the PKK.