WASHINGTON, D.C.(KOTA)- Pressure on Russia, potentially expanding NATOs borders, and the continued recovery after a dropped ball in Afghanistan are all on South Dakota Senator Mike Rounds’s plate.

Rounds, who sits on the Senate Foreign Relations and Armed Forces committees, started in the Middle East.

Rounds said Afghanistan is still on unsteady ground.

In Europe, recent Senate votes have put some Nordic peers in a position to expand NATOs borders.

While not a done deal yet, the expansion would represent a direct land border between Russia and NATO nations, and would surely send a message to Vladimir Putin.

NATO has continued to support Ukraine, financially and with equipment, in their battle against Russia.