NATO has officially welcomed Finland as its 31st member, marking a historic moment for both Finland and the alliance.
At the Nato offices in Brussels, the Finnish flag will be hoisted to commemorate Finland becoming the alliance’s 31st member and Russia’s western neighbour. Vladimir Putin, the president of Russia, lost with the inclusion of Finland because he frequently lamented Nato’s expansion before launching a full-scale invasion of Ukraine. Russia and the NATO members are now separated by a greater space. Finland and Russia share a 1,340-kilometer eastern border, and due to the war in Russia, Finland and Sweden formally applied to join the Western security coalition in May.
Both of them had previously chosen to employ a non-alignment approach. However, in response to a more assertive Russian military, they opted to move to the protective guarantee provided by NATO’s Article Five, which says that a strike on one member is an attack on all. Support for Finland’s participation in NATO reached 80% after Russia’s invasion.
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has accused Stockholm of welcoming Kurdish terrorists and permitting them to hold public demonstrations, which has put an end to Sweden’s application for the time being. Hungary still needs to accept Sweden’s membership.Â
Alexander Grushko, the deputy foreign minister of Russia, has issued a warning that if Finland’s new Nato allies there deploy troops or resources, Moscow will take extra measures to firmly guarantee the armed security of Russia.
Boris Gryzlov, Russia’s envoy to Belarus, stated on Sunday that Moscow would place tactical nuclear weapons near Belarus’ western boundaries to boost security opportunities.
The United States will receive Finland’s accession paperwork from Foreign Minister Pekka Haavisto in Brussels after both of those nations last week accepted Helsinki’s application, marking the end of the formal process. Then, before a meeting of the NATO foreign ministers, the flags of Finland and the other 30 alliance members will be hoisted in front of NATO offices. This is one of those most important moves that could play a critical role in bringing about a change in the Russia-Ukraine War situation.
NATO to Hoist Flags of Finland and its 30 Member States to Welcome its Newest Member in Brussels Ceremony
Sauli Niinisto, the president of Finland, and other government officials will be present for a flag-raising event at NATO HQ outside of Brussels to officially welcome Finland as the organisation’s newest member. After Finland repulsed a Soviet incursion effort during World War Two and decided to try to keep cordial ties with nearby Russia, a period of military non-alignment started. This event commemorates the end of that period.
However, Finland sought protection under NATO’s collective defense agreement because of Russia’s invasion of another neighbor, Ukraine, which started in February 2022. Under this agreement, an attack on one member is considered an attack on all members.
To enhance their mutual security, Finland and Sweden had stated that they wanted to join NATO “hand in hand,” but that plan was abandoned when Turkey rejected Stockholm’s proposal. In order to confirm Sweden’s membership, Turkey has requested their extradition on the grounds that Stockholm harbours individuals it regards as belonging to terrorist organisations. Sweden has refuted this claim.
Sweden’s admittance is also being delayed by Hungary, which has complaints about criticism of Prime Minister Viktor Orban’s political record. However, if Turkey moves to do so, Budapest is expected to accept Sweden’s proposal, according to NATO officials. After the May presidential and legislative polls, they anticipate Turkey will act.
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