NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg announced on Monday that Finland will become the 31st member of the world’s biggest military alliance. However, Russia issued a
warning that it would increase its defenses near the joint border with Finland if NATO deployed any troops in its new member.
“This is a historic week,” Stoltenberg said on the eve of a meeting of NATO foreign ministers in Brussels. “From tomorrow, Finland will be a full member of the alliance.” He expressed hope that Sweden would be able to join NATO in the coming months.
The former Norwegian prime minister noted that Turkey, the last country to have ratified Finland’s membership, will hand over its official texts to U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken on Tuesday. Stoltenberg said he would then invite Finland to do the same.
On Tuesday afternoon, the Finnish flag will be raised for the first time at NATO headquarters, with Finnish President Sauli Niinistö and Defense Minister Antti Kaikkonen in attendance. Stoltenberg called it “a good day for Finland’s security, for Nordic security, and for NATO as a whole.”
Finnish Foreign Minister Pekka Haavisto said, “It is a historic moment for us. For Finland, the most important objective at the meeting will be to emphasize NATO’s support to Ukraine as Russia continues its illegal aggression. We seek to promote stability and security throughout the Euro-Atlantic region.”
Russia's Deputy Foreign Minister Alexander Grushko warned that Moscow would respond to Finland becoming a NATO member by strengthening its defenses if needed. “In case of deployment of forces of other NATO members on the territory of Finland, we will take additional steps to ensure Russia’s military security,” he said in remarks carried by the state RIA Novosti news agency.
Finland and Sweden abandoned their traditional positions of military non-alignment to seek protection under NATO’s security umbrella after fearing they might be targeted following Russia's invasion of Ukraine in 2014. All 30 allies signed Finland’s and Sweden’s accession protocols, but Turkey and Hungary delayed the process for months. Both countries have now relented on Finland, with Turkey seeking guarantees and assurances from the two, notably on tackling extremism.
NATO officials are keen to bring Sweden within the fold before U.S. President Joe Biden and his alliance counterparts meet in the Lithuanian capital Vilnius on July 11-12. “Sweden is not left alone. Sweden is as close as it can come as a full-fledged member,” Stoltenberg said.
In conclusion, Finland’s entry into NATO has been hailed as a historic moment for the country and for the alliance as a whole. However, Russia’s warning of strengthening its defenses near the joint border with Finland if NATO deploys any troops in its new member adds to the ongoing tension between NATO and Russia. Photo by Santeri Viinamäki, Wikimedia commons.