Republicans join Democrats in backing NATO expansion

Democrats and Republicans in the US Senate have filed a resolution supporting Sweden and Finland’s NATO membership aspirations.

They have highlighted bipartisan support for the alliance despite Republican nationalism.

The expansion of the partnership will require a two-thirds majority vote in the 100-member Senate.

There will be at least 17 Republicans and every Democrat voting “yes.”

Many Republicans in the United States have been following former President Donald Trump, the party’s leader, in adopting a more nationalist foreign policy.

Trump has criticized NATO countries of not spending enough on their own defense and putting an undue load on the US.

Last week, 11 Republicans in the Senate voted “no” on legislation sending $40 billion in aid to Ukraine.

Some of them were arguing that they wanted the money allocated to Americans.