; Whereas Article 5 of the Washington Treaty was invoked for the only time following the September 11 terrorist attacks on the United States; Whereas NATO allies provided troops, intelligence, resources, and support to United States forces under Article 5 of the Washington Treaty following the September 11 attacks, and NATO allies incurred significant casualties under NATO-led operations in Afghanistan; Whereas NATO has been steadfast in its support for Ukraine in light of Russia’s full-scale invasion, with member countries providing ammunition, weapons, and significant nonsecurity assistance in support of Ukraine’s war effort; Whereas, following Vladimir Putin’s illegal invasion of Ukraine, Finland and Sweden made the sovereign decision to accede to the NATO alliance; Whereas NATO remains committed to addressing the systemic challenges posed by China to Euro-Atlantic interests, security, and values as well as the principle of collective defense, which is critical for demonstrating the alliance’s reliability with regards to deterring China and standing up for the rules-based international order; Whereas the vast majority of NATO allies have made significant contributions to Ukraine’s war effort, greatly increasing Ukraine’s ability to defend itself and imposing direct costs on Russia for its illegal invasion of Ukraine; and Whereas the United States commitment to the NATO alliance is ironclad: Now, therefore, be it