Finland will become the 31st member of the world’s largest military alliance on Tuesday, according to NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg. This prompted a threat from Russia that it will reinforce its defences near their shared border if NATO puts soldiers in its new member.
“This is a historic week,” Stoltenberg told reporters on the eve of a meeting of NATO foreign ministers in Brussels. “Finland will become a full member of the alliance beginning tomorrow,” he added, expressing hope that Sweden will be able to join NATO in the following months.
On Tuesday afternoon, the former Norwegian prime minister stated, “we will raise the Finnish flag for the first time at NATO headquarters. It will be a good day for Finland’s security, Nordic security, and NATO as a whole.”
Stoltenberg stated that Turkey, the final country to ratify Finland’s membership, will give over its formal documents to U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken on Tuesday. Stoltenberg then stated that Finland will be invited to do the same.
President Sauli Niinisto, Defense Minister Antti Kaikkonen, and Foreign Minister Pekka Haavisto will attend the ceremony.
“It is a historic occasion for us,” Haavisto said in a statement. “For Finland, the most important purpose during the summit will be to reaffirm NATO’s support for Ukraine as Russia continues its illegal invasion.” We want to advance stability and security across the Euro-Atlantic region.
Aleksandr Grushko, the deputy foreign minister of Russia, stated that if necessary, Moscow would enhance its defences in response to Finland joining NATO.
“We will increase our military potential in the west and northwest,” Grushko said in statements reported by the state-run RIA Novosti news agency. “Should other NATO countries send soldiers on Finland’s territory, we will take additional measures to safeguard Russia’s military security.”
The news of Finland’s NATO membership comes only days after Finnish voters gave conservative parties a boost in a weekend election, denying left-leaning Prime Minister Sanna Marin a second term in office. Marin had championed Finland’s NATO membership.
Worried that they could be targeted following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine a year ago, the Nordic neighbours Finland and Sweden abandoned their traditional stances of military neutrality to seek protection under NATO’s security umbrella.
All 30 allies signed Finland’s and Sweden’s accession protocols. Turkey and Hungary stalled the process for months, but finally relented on Finland. Turkey has demanded guarantees and assurances from the two, particularly on combating extremism.
For new members to join NATO, unanimity is required, and NATO leaders are eager to welcome Sweden before U.S. President Joe Biden and alliance counterparts meet in the Lithuanian capital Vilnius on July 11-12.
Sweden is as close as it can get to being a full-fledged member, according to Stoltenberg.
