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United States Senators delivered overwhelming bipartisan approval to NATO membership for Finland and Sweden Wednesday, calling expansion of the Western defensive bloc a 鈥渟lam-dunk鈥� for U.S. national security and a day of reckoning for Russian President Vladimir Putin over his invasion of Ukraine.

Wednesday鈥檚 95-1 vote 鈥� for the candidacy of two Western European nations that, until Russia鈥檚 war against Ukraine, had long avoided military alliances 鈥� took a crucial step toward expansion of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization and its 73-year-old pact of mutual defense among the United States and democratic allies in Europe.

Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer invited ambassadors of the two nations to the chamber gallery to witness the vote.

President Joe Biden, who has been the principal player rallying global economic and material support for Ukraine, has sought quick entry for the two previously non-militarily aligned northern European nations.

鈥淭his historic vote sends an important signal of the sustained, bipartisan U.S. commitment to NATO, and to ensuring our Alliance is prepared to meet the challenges of today and tomorrow,鈥� Mr. Biden said in a statement Wednesday evening.

鈥淚 look forward to signing the accession protocols and welcoming Sweden and Finland, two strong democracies with highly capable militaries, into the greatest defensive alliance in history,鈥� the president added.

Approval from all 30 member nations is required. The candidacies of the two prosperous Northern European nations have won ratification from more than half of the NATO member nations in the roughly three months since the two applied. It鈥檚 a purposely rapid pace meant to send a message to Russia over its six-month-old war against Ukraine鈥檚 West-looking government.

鈥淚t sends a warning shot to tyrants around the world who believe free democracies are just up for grabs,鈥� Sen. Amy Klobuchar, D-Minn., said in the Senate debate ahead of the vote.

鈥淩ussia鈥檚 unprovoked invasion has changed the way we think about world security,鈥� she added.

Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, who visited Kyiv earlier this year, urged unanimous approval. Speaking to the Senate, Mr. McConnell cited Finland鈥檚 and Sweden鈥檚 well-funded, modernizing militaries and their experience working with U.S. forces and weapons systems, calling it a 鈥渟lam-dunk for national security鈥� of the United States.

鈥淭heir accession will make NATO stronger and America more secure. If any senator is looking for a defensible excuse to vote no, I wish them good luck,鈥� Mr. McConnell said.

Sen. Josh Hawley, a Missouri Republican who often aligns his positions with those of the most ardent supporters of former President Donald Trump, cast the only no vote. Mr. Hawley took the Senate floor to call European security alliances a distraction from what he called the United States鈥� chief rival 鈥� China, not Russia.

鈥淲e can do more in Europe ... devote more resources, more firepower ... or do what we need to do to deter Asia and China. We cannot do both,鈥� Mr. Hawley said, calling his a 鈥渃lassic nationalist approach鈥� to foreign policy.

Sen. Tom Cotton of Arkansas, like Mr. Hawley a potential 2024 presidential contender, rebutted his points without naming his potential Republican rival.

That included arguing against Mr. Hawley鈥檚 contention a bigger NATO would mean more obligations for the U.S. military, the world鈥檚 largest. Mr. Cotton was one of many citing the two nations鈥� military strengths 鈥� including Finland鈥檚 experience securing its hundreds of miles of border with Russia and its well-trained ground forces, and Sweden鈥檚 well-equipped navy and air force.

They鈥檙e 鈥渢wo of the strongest members of the alliance the minute they join,鈥� Mr. Cotton said.

U.S. State and Defense officials consider the two countries net 鈥渟ecurity providers,鈥� strengthening NATO鈥檚 defense posture in the Baltics in particular. Finland is expected to exceed NATO鈥檚 2% GDP defense spending target in 2022, and Sweden has committed to meet the 2% goal.

That鈥檚 in contrast to many of NATO鈥檚 newcomers formerly from the orbit of the Soviet Union, many with smaller militaries and economies. North Macedonia, NATO鈥檚 most recent newcomer nation, brought an active military of just 8,000 personnel when it joined in 2020.

Senators鈥� votes approving NATO candidacies often are lopsided 鈥� the one for North Macedonia was 91-2. But Wednesday鈥檚 approval from nearly all senators present carried added foreign policy weight in light of Russia鈥檚 war.

Mr. Schumer, D-N.Y., said he and Mr. McConnell had committed to the country鈥檚 leaders that the Senate would approve the ratification resolution 鈥渁s fast as we could鈥� to bolster the alliance 鈥渋n light of recent Russian aggression.鈥�

Sweden and Finland applied in May, setting aside their longstanding stance of military nonalignment. It was a major shift of security arrangements for the two countries after neighboring Russia launched its war on Ukraine in late February. Mr. Biden encouraged their joining and welcomed the two countries鈥� government heads to the White House in May, standing side by side with them in a display of U.S. backing.

The U.S. and its European allies have rallied with newfound partnership in the face of Mr. Putin鈥檚 military invasion, as well as the Russian leader鈥檚 sweeping statements this year condemning NATO, issuing veiled reminders of Russia鈥檚 nuclear arsenal and asserting Russia鈥檚 historical claims to territory of many of its neighbors.

鈥淓nlarging NATO is exactly the opposite of what Mr. Putin envisioned when he ordered his tanks to invade Ukraine,鈥� Sen. Bob Menendez, a New Jersey Democrat and chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, said Wednesday, adding that the West could not allow Russia to 鈥渓aunch invasions of countries.鈥�

Wednesday鈥檚 vote by Republicans and Democrats stood out for the normally slow-moving and divided chamber. Senators voted down a proposed amendment by Sen. Rand Paul, R-Ky., intended to ensure that NATO鈥檚 guarantee to defend its members does not replace a formal role for Congress in authorizing the use of military force. Mr. Paul, a longtime advocate of keeping the U.S. out of most military action abroad, voted 鈥減resent鈥� on the ratification of Sweden and Finland鈥檚 membership bid.

Senators approved another amendment from Sen. Dan Sullivan, R-Alaska, declaring that all NATO members should spend a minimum of 2% of their gross domestic product on defense and 20% of their defense budgets on major equipment, including research and development.

Each member government in NATO must give its approval for any new member to join. The process ran into unexpected trouble when Turkey raised concerns over adding Sweden and Finland, accusing the two of being soft on banned Turkish Kurdish exile groups. Turkey鈥檚 objections still threaten the two countries鈥� membership.

This story was reported by The Associated Press.