With Sweden and Finland having formally announced their intention to join NATO, Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell on Monday said that their was strong bipartisan support for the move, adding that the US was working to fast-track the applications of the two Nordic countries.

“I think I’m safe in saying there’s strong bipartisan support in the United States for admission of Finland to the world’s most successful military alliances,” McConnell, who is currently in the Finnish capital of Helsinki, said on Monday.

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“The goal of the United States … will be to approve that as rapidly as possible,” the Kentucky Republican added.

While a two-thirds majority is required in the Senate to ratify the treaty prior to approval, McConnell said that he was confident about the Nordic countries’ membership being ratified.

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Asked about when the vote would take place, the 80-year-old said, “I think certainly we hope to achieve it before the August recess when Congress typically goes out of session. Obviously, that would be well before the fall election. With regard to the size of the vote, I think it will be very significant, not unanimous, but very significant.”

The Kentucky Republican’s comments come hours after Sweden Prime Minister Magdalena Andersson formally announced the Nordic country’s intention to join NATO. Finland, meanwhile, had formally announced its decision on Sunday.

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While Moscow had earlier warned that Finland and Sweden’s bid to join NATO was a “mistake,” Russian President Vladimir Putin on Monday clarified that the mere act of joining the military alliance posed no threat to Russia.

However, he warned that any expansion of NATO military infrastructure in Nordic territory would “certainly provoke” a response from Russia, adding that the nature of such response would be determined in light of the threats found.