Biden signs agreement to ratify Finland, Sweden's bid to join NATO

President Joe Biden signed on Tuesday August 9 that the US ratification of bids by Finland and Sweden to join NATO, taking expansion of the Western Alliance in response to Russia's invasion of Ukraine.

Biden said that the two northern European countries would become strong, reliable, highly capable new allies by making the sacred commitment to mutual defense in the US-led transatlantic alliance.

The Senate voted 95 - 1 in favor of the Nordic states' accession, making the United States the 23rd of the 30 NATO countries to give formal endorsement. Biden, who has made restoring traditional US alliances a cornerstone of his administration after Donald Trump pushed to increase ties around the world, praised NATO as the foundation of American security. The United States is committed to the transatlantic alliance. Biden praised Finland and Sweden, saying both have strong democratic institutions, strong militaries and strong and transparent economies that would now bolster NATO.

President Vladimir Putin's Russia shattered peace and security in Europe by invading Ukraine, Biden said. Putin thought he could break us apart, instead he is getting exactly what he did not want.