U.S. Senate committee backs accession of Finland, Sweden to NATO

FILE PHOTO: Sweden's Foreign Minister Ann Linde and Finland's Foreign Minister Pekka Haavisto attend a news conference with NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg, after signing their countries' accession protocols at the alliance's headquarters in Brussels, Belgium July 5, 2022. REUTERS/Yves Herman/File Photo

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The U.S. Senate Foreign Relations Committee on Tuesday backed Finland and Sweden's accession to NATO, paving the way for the full Senate to vote on the most significant expansion of the 30-member alliance since the 1990s.

The 22-member panel approved the expansion by voice vote, with just one member - Republican Senator Rand Paul - asking to be recorded as "present."