Republican senator (Rand Paul) slows US approval of Finnish Nato bid

YLE NEWS ^ | July 27 | YLE NEWS

[RandFan]

Conservative Kentucky Senator Rand Paul has long opposed Nato enlargement and suggested that the Russian invasion of Ukraine was justified.

An outspoken Republican senator is set to delay American approval of Finland's Nato application, which must be approved by all 30 Nato member countries.

Sen. Rand Paul from Kentucky has called for the United States to ignore Nato's Article 5, which automatically guarantees US aid to another member country that is under attack. He argues that any such action must require congressional approval.

Paul is pushing for the Senate to vote on an amendment to that effect – which has little support – before voting on the Nato applications of Finland and neighbouring Sweden.

That could delay the vote on the applications until after the legislature's summer recess, which is to begin on 8 August.

Mitch McConnell, a fellow Kentuckian who leads the Republicans in the Senate, told the US news site Politico that the Senate should finish the process before the month-long recess.

All 100 senators must support the bill for it to be fast-tracked

[HYPOCRACY]

NATO should be viewed like the B1G and SEC view expansion. Don’t bring in weaker members who add no value and water down your product.

US should leave NATO and make it the PAC10.

[Basket_of_Deplorables]

GOOD!!!!

DISBAND NATO!!!!

[nathanbedford]

Don’t bring in weaker members who add no value and water down your product.

Good advice, but it does not apply to Finland or Sweden. Both of these nations have relatively strong Armed Forces and defense capabilities. Their addition to NATO bring strength in absolute terms.

One might argue that Finland's extensive border with Russia creates vulnerabilities but in the modern age of satellites and hypersonic missiles, geography is less critical than in the last century. Equally, the geography represented by Ukraine does not offer the same kind of buffer that failed to shield Stalin in 1941.

While Finland's geography presents a vulnerability, it also exposes a Russian flank that alters relative positions to NATO's advantage. Sweden, insulated by the Baltic and Finland, offers no geographical vulnerability and reasonably powerful Armed Forces.

These considerations are quite apart from an overall judgment whether or not we should be involved in NATO but it is fair to say that, on balance, the addition of Sweden and Finland strengthen NATO.

[McGruff]

Let them join NATO as long as they take our seat there.

[icclearly]

GOOD!!!! DISBAND NATO!!!!

RAND PAUL. Run to be our president!

[tlozo]

Republican senator (Rand Paul) slows US approval of Finnish Nato bid

Times like this, Rand takes a nutty stand. Finland and Sweden would be a great addition to NATO.

[Observator]

I wouldn’t call it nutty. More like pro-Kremlin.

[Bruce Campbells Chin]

Don’t bring in weaker members who add no value and water down your product.

As was pointed out by someone else, this criticism applies to neither Finland nor sweden. Both of them would be military pluses for NATO.

[ModelBreaker]

“I wouldn’t call it nutty. More like pro-Kremlin.”

Sigh.

[Wuli]

“Don’t bring in weaker members who add no value and water down your product.”

Finland will not be a “weak” member. Unlike Poland and Germany Finland stood up to the Soviet Union, in a war with them, and won, sending the Soviet military out of Finland. While they have remained politically neutral they have remained militarily vigilant against Russia. Every man in Finkand does his active military duty and remains in the reserves for life. I’d take Finland as a partner over nations like France, Greece or Italy any time.

[Wuli]

Rand will not succeeed.

There will never be enough votes to amend the U.S. ratification of the NATO treaty to cancel out American agreement with article 5. That is not going to happen.

[Wuli]

Most Libertarians are pacifists. At their core, they want a Utopian society where there are no rules or agreements other than private rules and agreements individuals and businesses make with each other. It is Utopian and like all Utopian ideas it is not practical nor in the end would it be good. In the long run it is warlord types that would love it and eventually control it.

I am not a Libertarian, even if I do like a few of their more practicle ideas.

[HYPOCRACY]

NATO is worthless and Sweden and Finland can go defend themselves against Russia without us.

I don’t give a shit who is in NATO as long as the US is not.

[HYPOCRACY]

Again. Good for them. Leave the US out of it. Sweden and Finland can go relive their successes against Russia. Why should the US give a shit?

[Wuli]

History says we should.

We tried, twice, to let Europe alone deal with its bad actors, and it failed; it eventually affected us enough that we had to end our isolation.

Friends and isolation do not go together.

[HYPOCRACY]

Yeah. And twice Europe took advantage of us. Eff Europe. They hate us. They can wallow in their own guano. US does not belong in a third war started by those fembos.

They can have all the faggy fake hot wars they want. Leave the US alone. So the Bushes and Cheneys don’t make any more money on fake wars and dead Americans.

[nathanbedford]

Well, you certainly convinced me with that argument.