The addition of Finland as the 31st member of NATO doubles the length of member states’ borders with Russia.
The Finnish foreign minister presented the membership application to the US secretary of state, who then declared Finland to be a member.
As the sun shone, 30 flags circled the new NATO offices, including Finland’s white-and-blue flag.
The accession of Finland is a setback for Vladimir Putin of Russia.
Before his full-scale invasion of Ukraine, he repeatedly complained about NATO’s expansion.
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken stated that by assaulting his neighbor, the Russian leader had achieved the exact opposite of what he intended.
Dmitry Peskov, a spokesman for the Kremlin, warned that Russia would “closely monitor” events in Finland, characterizing NATO’s expansion as a “violation of our security and national interests.”
A military band performed the Finnish national anthem and the NATO dirge. Beyond the perimeter fence, a small group of demonstrators waving Ukrainian flags and chanting “Ukraine in NATO” served as a reminder of why nonaligned Finland and Sweden had requested membership in NATO in May 2022.
Finland shares an eastern border of 1,340 kilometers (832 miles) with Russia. When the conflict in Ukraine broke out, Helsinki opted for the protection of NATO’s Article Five, which states that an attack on one member is an attack on all.
If Finland were to be invaded or attacked, all Nato members, including the United States, would rush to its aid.
The invasion by Russia prompted an increase in public support for Finnish membership in NATO to 80 percent.
President Sauli Niinisto proclaimed a new era for Finland, stating, “Today is a great day for Finland.” He stated that Finland would be a dependable ally and that its members would not pose a threat to anyone. “Security and stability are elements that we feel strongly about. If people can live in secure, stable conditions, that is the foundation of a happy life.”
“This will make Finland safer and strengthen NATO,” said Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg, expressing pride in the union.
“President Putin’s stated objective for invading Ukraine was to get less NATO along its borders and no more membership in Europe, but he’s achieving the exact opposite.”
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken stated that he was “tempted to say this is perhaps the only thing we can thank Mr. Putin for, as he has once again precipitated by Russia’s aggression something he claims to want to prevent.”
About 30,000 active, well-equipped, and trained Finnish soldiers are present. It also has access to 250,000 reserves.
It also makes NATO’s long border with Russia harder to secure, but it’s in their latest defence plans.
Turkey’s president, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, has accused Sweden of embracing Kurdish militants and allowing them to demonstrate in the streets. Hungary has yet to ratify Sweden’s membership.
As he handed Mr. Blinken the accession document, Finnish Foreign Minister Pekka Haavisto said he had a very important initial mission: “The task is to give you our ratification for Swedish membership along with the deposit.”
Mr. Stoltenberg stated that it was essential for Sweden to join as soon as possible, and the Finnish president stated that he was looking forward to meeting his Nordic neighbor at the upcoming NATO summit in Lithuania in July.
Helsinki’s accession took less than a year, and Tuesday’s ceremony marks Nato’s 74th jubilee.
The U.S. ambassador to NATO, Julianne Smith, told, “Finland is a fantastic ally, very capable, and shares our values. We anticipate a smooth transition into its proper seat at the table.”
The Kremlin stated that Russia was compelled to take tactical and strategic countermeasures to ensure its security. But noted that it had never disagreed with Helsinki to the extent that Ukraine had become “anti-Russian.”
In the meantime, Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu announced on Tuesday that the Iskander-M short-range ballistic missile system had been transferred to Belarus and was capable of carrying both nuclear and conventional munitions. He stated that certain Belarusian fighter aircraft were also capable of carrying nuclear weapons.
NATO’s Jens Stoltenberg said Russia’s nuclear posture had not changed enough to warrant a reaction. He added that no NATO forces would be stationed in Finland without the consent of the Helsinki government.
Nato will now have seven members on the Baltic Sea, further isolating Russia’s access to St. Petersburg and Kaliningrad.
Mr. Peskov told that Russia would closely monitor NATO’s use of Finnish territory “in terms of basing weapons systems and infrastructure there that will be very close to our borders and could pose a threat to us.”
According to the Kremlin spokesman, measures will be implemented based on this information.
