Biden said Thursday he was sending paperwork to Congress to ratify Finland and Sweden's application to join NATO. The ratification process is expected to pass with bipartisan support.
President Biden is traveling to Japan and South Korea this week — his first trip to Asia since taking office. Like presidents before him, he's seeking to reorient U.S. foreign policy toward Asia.
Finland changed its policy toward the military alliance after troops invaded Ukraine. Sweden has avoided all military alliances, but like Finland, has also grown closer and closer to NATO over time.
The statement by the president and prime minister comes a day after British Prime Minister Boris Johnson visited both Finland and Sweden to sign a military cooperation agreement.
Estonia is host to one of the world's largest annual interactive cybersecurity drills. Russia is always considered the main threat, but this year, the war in Ukraine has only added to the stakes.
One of Europe's poorest countries, Moldova has a separatist region that hosts 1,500 Russian troops. Since the Ukraine war, Moldova's applied to join the EU, even as it keeps a policy of neutrality.
NPR's Leila Fadel talks to NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg about Ukraine's renewed request for weaponry, and the latest predictions on how Russian forces will fight the war in the future.
