In a historic realignment of the continent brought on by Moscow’s invasion of Ukraine, Finland joined the NATO military alliance on Tuesday, delivering a serious blow to the Russian Federation. The Nordic country doubled its border with Russia by joining the largest security alliance in the world with the delivery of the necessary papers.
The inclusion of Finland marks a significant shift in the security environment in Europe. Finland became neutral following its loss by the Soviet Union in World War II. But only a few months after Russian President Vladimir Putin’s invasion of Ukraine sent shudders through Moscow’s neighbors, its leaders made it known they wished to join the alliance.
Putin, who has long condemned NATO’s expansion towards Russia and in part used that as justification for the invasion, will take a strategic and political hit from the decision. Moscow, according to the coalition, is unaffected. To address what it referred to as security threats brought on by Finland’s membership, Russia warned that it would be compelled to take “retaliatory measures.”
Furthermore, it has threatened to increase its military presence in the region of Finland should NATO dispatch any more personnel or equipment to what will be the alliance’s 31st member nation.
Sweden, which is nearby and has for more than 200 years kept away from armed alliances, has also submitted an application. However, the procedure has been delayed due to Hungary and Turkey, two NATO members, objecting. As soon as Finland’s foreign minister gave the necessary paperwork to American Secretary of State Antony Blinken, the country’s participation in the EU was formally established. Documents pertaining to NATO participation are kept by the U.S. State Department.
