Finland has officially been named the 31st member of NATO, marking a major shift in the security landscape in northeastern Europe that adds some 1,300 kilometers (830 miles) to the alliance’s frontier with Russia.
“Finland has today become a member of the defence alliance NATO. The era of military non-alignment in our history has come to an end. A new era begins,” the Finnish presidency said in a statement. “Each country maximizes its own security. So does Finland. At the same time, NATO membership strengthens our international position and room for manoeuvre. As a partner, we have long actively participated in NATO activities. In the future, Finland will make a contribution to NATO’s collective deterrence and defence,” it added.
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken, NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg were on hand at NATO’s Brussels headquarters as Finland's Foreign Minister Pekka Haavisto deposited the country's instrument of accession.
Finland’s flag will be raised outside NATO headquarters on Tuesday afternoon in a ceremony attended by NATO foreign ministers, including Blinken. For all future NATO meetings, Finland participates as an Ally — seated at the table between Estonia and France.
Finland’s acceptance into the US-led security alliance presents a blow to Russian President Vladimir Putin, who has long sought to undermine NATO, and before invading Ukraine, demanded the bloc refrain from further expansion.
The invasion instead drove non-aligned Finland and Sweden to abandon their neutrality and seek protection within NATO, though Sweden’s attempt to join the bloc has been stalled by alliance members Turkey and Hungary.
Finnish President Sauli Niinistö said Tuesday is a "great day for Finland, as the country officially becomes a NATO member." He emphasized the importance of Sweden’s bid for membership — which is still pending due to Turkey and Hungary's objections — saying the allies will all work for Swedish membership very hard. “We are doing that together with them, together with you and that will continue,” Niinistö said.
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Reactions From Russia
Russian President Vladimir Putin and Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko will hold talks in Moscow on Wednesday, the Kremlin said. Lukashenko will make a working visit to Russia on April 5-6, where he will take part in a meeting of the Supreme State Council of the Union State and meet with Putin, according to Belarus state news agency BELTA. According to the Kremlin, on Wednesday, the heads of state will discuss topical bilateral and international issues. On Thursday, Moscow will host a meeting of the Supreme State Council of the Union State, which will be attended by Putin and Lukashenko.
NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg: The chief of the US-led military alliance said Russian President Vladimir Putin had “failed” in his attempt to “slam NATO’s door shut” amid his invasion of Ukraine. “President Putin wanted to slam NATO’s door shut. Today, we show the world that he failed, that aggression and intimidation do not work. Instead of less NATO, he has achieved the opposite — more NATO — and our door remains firmly open,” Stoltenberg told a news conference in Brussels alongside Finnish President Sauli Niinistö.
Finland now has the “strongest friends and allies in the world,” Stoltenberg declared as he welcomed the country into the alliance.
