Senate takes up NATO membership for Montenegro

The Senate is moving forward on Montenegro’s bid to join NATO. 

Senators voted 97-2 to end debate on a treaty backing the Eastern European country’s bid. GOP Sens. Rand Paul (Ky.) and Mike Lee (Utah) were the only senators voting against advancing the treaty. 

A final vote is expected this week.

Under NATO’s Article 5, member states agree to defend any NATO country that is threatened by force. 

The Kentucky Republican argued ahead of the vote that the United States was already stretched thin, adding that a deal with Montenegro didn’t help secure the U.S.

“Will they make you sleep safer at night? The answer is an emphatic no. There is no national security interest that an alliance with Montenegro will advance,” Paul said.

{mosads}GOP seantors, including McCain, countered that allowing Montenegro to join NATO could send a signal to counter Russia in eastern Europe. 

“The idea that we can be safe and free and not engage the world and sit on the sidelines and watch Putin turn the world upside down is naive,” Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) said ahead of the vote. 

But the libertarian-leaning Paul countered that Russia is “weak” and that NATO’s rules could require U.S. troops be sent to Montenegro. 

“Most Americans couldn’t find Montenegro on a map. Are you willing to send your kids there to fight?” he asked. “That’s what this is about.” 

Paul tried to get unanimous consent to bring a amendment that would omit the United States from having to help defend Montenegro if needed, but Sen. Bob Corker (R-Tenn.) objected. 

Monday’s procedural vote comes after Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) tried to set up consideration of the treaty earlier this month but was blocked by Paul. 

McCain blasted Paul on the Senate floor at the time saying that the “senator from Kentucky is now working for [Russian president] Vladimir Putin.”

“He has no justification for his objection to having a small nation be part of NATO that is under assault from the Russians,” McCain said.