IRIA News

The blue-and-white flag of Finland was raised at NATO’s headquarters in Brussels alongside its Western partners after the Nordic country formally became the 31st member of the world’s largest military alliance.

Helsinki’s official accession into NATO came on April 4, 2023. Finland has shifted from its historically neutral stance to join the NATO alliance as the 31st member as an aftereffect of the Russian invasion of Ukraine.

In a ceremony hosted by NATO chief Jens Stoltenberg, Finnish Foreign Minister Pekka Haavisto completed the accession process by handing over an official document to U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken and ending its seven decades of military non-alignment. The U.S. State Department is the repository of NATO’s official documents concerning the membership.

Jens Stoltenberg, who had been working actively to bring Finland and Sweden into the alliance, hailed the historic moment and said that it is “a good day for Finland’s security, for Nordic security, and for NATO as a whole. This will make Finland safer and NATO stronger,” he said. “This has been the fastest accession process in NATO’s history.”

Thirty-one flags flying together as a symbol of our unity and solidarity.#Finland is safer and #NATO is stronger with Finland as an Ally
Welcome to our Alliance 🇫🇮 pic.twitter.com/eJh5G6PK0o

— Jens Stoltenberg (@jensstoltenberg) April 4, 2023

Standing alongside Finnish, the NATO chief said: “Finland is safer and NATO is stronger with Finland as an Ally. Your forces are substantial and highly capable, your resilience is second to none and for many years troops from Finland and NATO countries have worked side-by-side as partners. From today, we stand together as Allies.”

Finnish President Sauli Niinisto said that Finland’s membership was not “targeted against anyone. He said that ”Finland’s most significant contribution to NATO’s collective deterrence and defense is built on the security and defense of our own territory.” He added that there was still significant work to be done to coordinate this with NATO.

Niinisto also urged for its neighboring Nordic state Sweden’s accession into the alliance by stating that “Finland’s membership is not complete without Sweden. I look forward to Sweden joining us as the 32nd member.”

The outgoing Finnish Prime Minister Sanna Marin said “Finland is entering a new era as a member of NATO”.

Finland is entering a new era as a member of NATO. I am proud of Finland and the Finnish people. As a nation, we have been united throughout this historic process. Thank you to our Allies for your trust. Together we will be even stronger.

— Sanna Marin (@MarinSanna) April 4, 2023

“I’m tempted to say this is maybe the one thing that we can thank Mr. Putin for because he once again here precipitated something he claims to want to prevent by Russia’s aggression, causing many countries to believe that they have to do more to look out for their defense and to make sure that they can deter possible Russian aggression going forward,” U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken said just before accepting the documents that made Finland’s membership official.

Today, we are honored to welcome Finland as @NATO’s 31st Ally. Finland’s membership strengthens our collective defense and enhances our ability to respond to security challenges in the region. pic.twitter.com/k2K1metfT2

— Secretary Antony Blinken (@SecBlinken) April 4, 2023

Sweden’s accession to the NATO alliance

Finland and Sweden started their process to join the NATO alliance together in May last year after Russia began its invasion of Ukraine. Both countries needed approval from all the existing 30 members before being included in the alliance. Finland gathered enough support from the NATO member states to complete its accession process, however, Sweden’s bid to join NATO is still in limbo after Turkey and Hungary raised concerns over its addition to the alliance. 

Ankara accuses Sweden of supporting and providing asylum to the leaders of the separatist and insurgent groups active in Turkey. Turkey has put forward a list of demands for the Swedish administration to fulfill, only then Ankara would approve their bid to join the alliance. Negotiations, mediated by NATO officials, are underway between the two sides. 

Russia threatens ‘counter-measures’

Finland shares one of the longest European borders with Russia stretching up to 1340 kilometers. Russia’s second-largest city and President Vladimir Putin’s hometown, St Petersburg is only 150 kilometers away from the Finnish border. With Finland’s accession to the NATO alliance, Russia faces a new challenge on its North Western border. Russia had indicated earlier this if Finland and Sweden joined NATO, Moscow would be forced to increase its military presence in the western and northwestern regions. 

Russia’s Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu told Russia’s military leadership that Finland’s accession “creates the risks of a significant expansion of conflict” but added that it would not affect Russia’s “special military operation” in Ukraine. 

One of the reasons why Russia started its “special military operation” in Ukraine was to stop Kyiv from joining the NATO alliance as it would bring the NATO outposts right next to its border. With Finland’s accession to NATO, Russia is facing a new challenge of dealing with NATO military outposts on one of its longest borders shared with any European country.

Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said that after Finland’s accession to NATO, Moscow is forced to take “countermeasures”. He said that NATO’s expansion is an “encroachment on our security and Russia’s national interests”. Russia’s Foreign Ministry said Finland was committing a dangerous historic mistake by joining NATO that would dilute its influence on the world stage and hurt its ties with Moscow.