Finland to join NATO, irking Moscow as the military alliance expands its border along Russia
Finland to join NATO, irking Moscow as the military alliance expands its border along Russia Finland is poised to join NATO as its 31st member, which will have significant strategic and political implications for President Vladimir Putin as it doubles the military alliance's border with Russia.
Like all NATO members, Finland will enjoy the collective security assurance of Article 5, which states that an attack against one member will be deemed an attack against all members in Europe and North America.
Finland to join NATO, irking Moscow as the military alliance
In a ceremony to be held this afternoon, the Finnish flag will be raised alongside the French and Estonian flags, marking the completion of the quickest accession process in NATO's recent history.
While some member countries have deployed troops to Finland for military exercises in the past year, NATO has stated that it does not have any immediate plans to increase its presence there. However,
Russia remains skeptical of such assurances, with President Putin citing NATO's eastward expansion as a key factor in the ongoing conflict in Ukraine. In fact, Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Alexander Grushko has warned that Moscow will reinforce its forces near Finland if NATO sends additional troops or equipment to this new member, indicating the sensitive nature of this geopolitical development.
Finland to join NATO, irking Moscow as the military alliance expands its border along Russia
According to NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg, President Putin's efforts to push back against NATO through military action in Russia have actually had the opposite effect. Meanwhile,
Finland has a well-trained military force that includes elite troops capable of operating in harsh, cold environments. In addition, Finland possesses a large reserve army and is investing heavily in new military equipment, such as U.S.-made F-35 fighter jets. Following Russia's invasion of Ukraine in 2021,
Finland applied for NATO membership in May 2022, with Sweden also applying but facing a longer accession process. The inclusion of Finland as the organization's newest member helps to fill a significant gap in the strategically important Baltic Sea region in northern Europe.
Finland to join NATO, irking Moscow as the military alliance expands its border along Russia
NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg announced on Tuesday that Turkey, the last country to ratify Finland's membership, will present the official document of approval to U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken. Following this,
Stoltenberg will invite Finland to provide its own signed documents to complete the process. Although all 30 NATO members signed Finland's and Sweden's accession protocols soon after their applications, Turkey and Hungary delayed the process for several months.
However, both eventually agreed to Finland's membership, with Turkey seeking guarantees and assurances from the two countries, particularly regarding the crackdown on Kurdish groups. Meanwhile, Hungary's demands were never explicitly stated. All new members must be approved unanimously by NATO,
with the vast majority of members keen to include Sweden before U.S. President Joe Biden and other alliance leaders meet in Vilnius, Lithuania, for the next summit on July 11-12.
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