STATEMENT: Lt. Gen (Ret.) Keith Kellogg on Finland and Sweden NATO Application

“America First does not mean America alone. It means strengthening and modernizing our alliances, which is why we support Finland and Sweden applying to join NATO to ensure the safety of their nations. This move by Finland and Sweden – two nations that have committed to paying 2% of their GDP towards the alliance – is a direct result of strategic errors by Russian President Vladimir Putin. NATO is a collective defense organization, and the unacceptable invasion of Ukraine by Russia reveals exactly why other European countries are pursuing these measures. President Putin’s actions are not weakening the alliance but strengthening the alliance. Putin needs to recognize that further aggression in Ukraine will only damage Russia to a much greater extent.”