Iran Press/ America: The US Senate has ratified the entry of Sweden and Finland into NATO, strongly backing the expansion of the transatlantic alliance in the face of Russia's military operation in Ukraine.
The Senate voted 95 to 1 on Wednesday in favor of the two Nordic countries' accession, making the United States the 23rd of the 30 NATO countries to formally endorse it so far, after Italy approved it earlier Wednesday and France on Tuesday.
The accession documents need to be ratified by all 30 North Atlantic Treaty Organization members before Finland and Sweden can be protected by Article Five, the defense clause that states that an attack on one member is an attack against all.
Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer invited the ambassadors and other diplomats from the two countries to Washington to watch the debate and vote.
Moscow's special military operation in Ukraine, which it says aims among other things to degrade Ukraine's military potential and prevent it becoming a bridgehead for a NATO attack, has prompted the two Nordic countries to consider joining the U.S.-led alliance.
If the two countries join, "we'll have to make our western flank more sophisticated in terms of ensuring our security," Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said earlier.
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French parliament, Italy's Lower House back accession of Sweden, Finland to NATO
