Lindsey Graham gives 'shout-out' to Putin as Senate votes on adding Finland and Sweden to NATO: 'Without you, we wouldn't be here'

• As the Senate was about to vote on NATO accessions, Lindsey Graham made fun of Putin.

• Graham told Putin that they wouldn't be here without him.

• Russia's invasion of Ukraine made the Nordic nations want to join the NATO alliance.

As the Senate debated a resolution on Sweden's accession to NATO, Lindsey Graham made fun of Russian President Putin.

President Putin from Russia is a person that I usually don't give a shout out to. Graham said that they wouldn't be here without you. You have done more to strengthen NATO than any speech I can give.

"What we've been able to accomplish here through Putin's invasion of Ukraine is to remind everyone in the world that if you're a bully, you better stand up to them before it's too late," he said.

—Acyn (@Acyn) August 3, 2022

The invasion of Ukraine by Russia pushed the two Nordic countries to join NATO. During the Cold War, the Nordic countries were neutral or notaligned. Russia's military offensive in Ukraine caused both countries to change their minds.

Sanna Marin said at a press conference in Sweden in April that everything changed when Russia invaded Ukraine.

One of the most significant consequences of Russia's attack on Ukraine is the move by Sweden and Finland to join NATO.

Putin has been against NATO expansion for a long time. Putin demanded security guarantees from the West as he gathered tens of thousands of troops on the Ukrainian border. The Russian leader wanted the former Soviet republics of Georgia and Ukraine to never join NATO. The alliance's open-door policy was non negotiable.

Putin blamed NATO for the invasion. According to top Russia experts, Putin wanted to weaken NATO by attacking Ukraine. The alliance is on the verge of adding two major European countries with strong economies after Putin launched the military offensive. One of the borders with Russia is shared by Finns.

NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg told CNN's Christiane Amanpour last month that the leader wanted less NATO but is now getting more NATO and two new members.

Putin made a mistake.

The resolution on Sweden's and Finland's NATO accession was expected to be approved by the Senate with only one Republican planning to vote no.

Business Insider has an article on it.