Finland formally enlists in NATO

On Tuesday, the decision was officially announced at the bloc’s headquarters in Brussels.

Finland has formally joined NATO as its 31st member. The Turkish parliament’s approval of the move last Thursday, making it the final nation to accept the expansion of the US-led military alliance, made Helsinki’s admission feasible.

At NATO headquarters in Brussels on Tuesday, Finnish Foreign Minister Pekka Haavisto signed the agreement for his country’s admission before formally presenting it to US Secretary of State Antony Blinken.

The top US ambassador announced, “With receipt of this document of admission, we can now declare that Finland is the 31st member of the North Atlantic Treaty.”

Also there and calling the occasion a “historic day” was NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg. He continued by saying that Sweden will soon be welcomed by the military alliance.

An official conclusion to the process is anticipated during the July NATO summit in Lithuania.

Resmi Gazete, Turkey’s official newspaper, revealed on Saturday that President Recep Tayyip Erdogan had approved Finland’s membership, which had earlier that week received the unanimous support of Turkish MPs.

A vote last Monday in the Hungarian parliament, which also approved Helsinki’s proposal, came before the action.

Each new member of NATO must have the support of all the other members. Finland’s entry had been obstructed by Turkey for months due to claims that it supported Kurdish “terrorist organisations” like the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK).

Erdogan acknowledged his appreciation for the “genuine and tangible actions” Finland has taken to allay Turkey’s worries earlier this month.

Ankara claims that Sweden, which requested NATO membership with Finland in May, has not gone far enough. The Turkish government has expressed concerns about security issues that are similar to those voiced with Finland, putting Stockholm’s candidature in doubt.

Last year, Sweden and Finland abandoned their long-standing military neutrality, citing Moscow’s perceived threat and its assault against Ukraine.

Russia has often threatened that it will fortify its defences in the country’s northwest in response to NATO expansion. Moscow has claimed that one of the causes of the Russia-Ukraine crisis is the bloc’s further growth.