US Republican Leader McConnell Says Will Support Finnish, Swedish Accession To NATO

US Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell on Monday issued a statement in support of Finland and Sweden's accession to NATO, following a trip to the two countries by him and other lawmakers

WASHINGTON (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 16th May, 2022) US Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell on Monday issued a statement in support of Finland and Sweden's accession to NATO, following a trip to the two countries by him and other lawmakers.

"It was a special honor to visit both these strong, proud nations during the exact days when both countries' governments were concluding their deliberations and preparing to formally move forward with joining NATO," McConnell said. "I gave both the Swedish and Finnish leaders my personal assurance that I would fully support their NATO accession."

McConnell recently returned from a visit to Finland and Sweden alongside fellow Republican Senators Susan Collins, John Cornyn, and John Barrasso.

McConnell as Senate Republican Leader will do everything in his power to ensure that the United States' role in the NATO accession process moves forward quickly and smoothly, the lawmaker said in the statement.

Finland and Sweden would bring value as new NATO members and strengthen the alliance significantly, McConnell said, pointing to both nations' commitments to defense funding. The two countries have geographical importance, well-equipped armed forces, strong military industrial bases, and interoperability with US and NATO forces, McConnell added.