Posted on 07/14/2022 1:43:54 PM PDT by RandFan
The U.S. Senate will likely vote this summer on admitting Sweden and Finland to NATO. Prior to Putin’s invasion of Ukraine, I have been an automatic “no” on expanding NATO to Russia’s borders. I have seen such expansion as needless provocation.
But Putin’s invasion of Ukraine has changed the world and a realistic view of foreign policy changes as the world does. In this new world, I am less adamant about preventing NATO’s expansion with Sweden and Finland.
In the coming days I will propose conditions to the treaty stating that Article 5 does not supersede the constitutional requirement that Congress declare war before engaging in hostilities, and that the U.S. will not bear any costs caused by the addition of Sweden and Finland to NATO.
...
As for Sweden and Finland, we still need serious, rational, objective debate on the costs and benefits of admitting two historically neutral nations who have such strategic geographic position in relation to Russia. Before the Russian invasion, I would have said no. But given Russian actions, I have shifted from being against their admittance to NATO to neutral on the question, and will as a consequence vote “present.”
(Excerpt) Read more at theamericanconservative.com ...
Plus, adding more countries to the "will not be attacked" club is good just from a human perspective.
I am 100% on board with NATO doing anything they want, but that requires the US leaving NATO. Sugar Daddy needs to change focus to China. By the way, if we are smart we will work with Russia in doing that. We don’t need to like them, but we can work with them.
Working with Putin is like working with Adolf Hitler
No no no! We must pay MAJORITY of costs to keep NATO in business. We are the SUPER-POWER! We must thump our chest loudly like a Gorilla, and keep funding foreign wars. Who gives a shyt if our national debt is 135% of GDP. Our credit card is still working! /S/S/S
I am quite disappointed in his lack of conviction.
He must be either for, or against.
In the past he has voted no for every expansion.
Disappointed.
“will as a consequence vote “present.””
Senators should take a position and vote accordingly. Neutral or “present” seems a bit spineless to me.
Sweden and Finland in NATO? Why, the have always been neutral. Some people are trying to start WW3 with Russia, in a hurry. The US won’t win. This is beyond pathetic! Then they will drag in China. God help us!!
I support this expansion of NATO for the simple reason that there has to be consequences for Russian aggression. They may win a small amount of land in Donbas, but it will be a strategic miscalculation. I am also not opposed to a joint US-Israeli attack on Iran’s nuclear facilities right now. Russia is hardly in a position to intervene and it will improve the security of the Middle East and the world. That is what America-first is all about, not turtling up within our borders.
“Plus, adding more countries to the “will not be attacked” club is good just from a human perspective.”
It’s just adding to the list, far too long, that the US has pledged existential nuclear war to defend.
How anyone can can themselves an American and support that is beyond comprehension.
They are most certainly not American nationalists, and have mixed loyalties...at best.
At worst they are traitors.
“Working with Putin is like working with Adolf Hitler”
You expose yourself as devoid of historical knowledge.
Abject ignorance.
Or, stupidity.
Cool fantasy. I actually thought this might be possible up until 10 or 15 years ago. Now it's nothing less than delusional.
We should just leave NATO its not worth the money.
Yep.
I'm with Steven Crowder on this. They should pay up all the dues they would have been paying since NATO was formed. And apologize for virtue signalling about how above military solutions they've been for not being part of NATO all this time.
After all, they benefited from NATO's existence even without being part of it.
Need to add "will not be attacked because the United States pays for their defense with US treasure and, if it comes to it, blood."
Certainly not because Russia is concerned that Norway and Spain will rush to defend them. So add some more "US pays for it one way or another" to the list.
By the way, I don't agree 100% with him, and I draw my knowledge from multiple sources. I don't pay attention to experts who pull the Hitler card. There are zero parallels to Hitler. Use of the Hitler card is a sign of someone that wants to silence debate and a strong indicator of someone's ignorance on the topic being discussed.
If you recall how Trump treated Russia during his time in office and ignore the media, you may find a sane foreign policy.
It sounds like he’s sold out to the “liberal world order”. Very disappointing.
Only someone grossly ignorant of Putin would make that comment.
Ukraine is the home of neo-Nazism and Bandera worship.
George W. Bush, Obama and Biden's foreign policies are closer to the Nazi foreign policy.
1000 percent agree!
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