Finland joined NATO: the border of the alliance with Russia has doubled

Finland became the 4st member of NATO at a solemn ceremony held on Tuesday, April 31, at the headquarters of the North Atlantic Alliance in Brussels. Now the length of Russia's border with NATO has doubled. with the BBC.

Photo: IStock

The Minister of Foreign Affairs of Finland presented the instrument of accession to the US Secretary of State, who declared Finland a member of the alliance. Then, in front of the glittering NATO headquarters, the blue and white flag of Finland joined a circle of 30 other flags.

The accession of Finland is a setback for Russian President Vladimir Putin. He repeatedly complained about NATO expansion even before his full-scale invasion of Ukraine. US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken said that by attacking his neighbor, the Russian leader provoked exactly what he sought to prevent.

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov warned that Russia would be "closely watching" what happens in Finland, calling NATO expansion "a violation of our security and our national interests."

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The military band played the Finnish national anthem and then the NATO anthem. Behind the perimeter fence, a small group of protesters waving Ukrainian flags chanted “Ukraine in NATO,” a reminder that Finland only applied to join with Sweden in May 2022.

Finland shares a 1340 km eastern border with Russia. After Russia launched a war in Ukraine, Finland, after joining the alliance, hopes for Article 5 of NATO, which states that an attack on one member is an attack on all.

Essentially, this means that if Finland is invaded or attacked, all NATO members, including the US, will come to its aid.

Russia's invasion of Ukraine sparked a surge in Finnish public approval for the country's joining NATO, with 80% of the population supporting the decision.

“This is a great day for Finland,” said Finnish President Sauli Niinistö, ushering in a new era for his country. According to him, Finland will be a reliable ally, and its membership will not be a threat to anyone. “Security and stability are elements that we feel very strongly. If people can live in safe, stable conditions, that is a fundamental element of a happy life,” he said.

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“It is with great pride that I welcome Finland as a full member of our Alliance, and I look forward to also welcoming Sweden as soon as possible,” said NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg. "Joining NATO is good for Finland, it's good for the security of the Nordic countries and it's good for NATO as a whole," he added. The Secretary General also noted that Finland's accession to NATO shows the world that President Putin has failed to "slam NATO's door."

“Instead of getting less NATO, he did the opposite: NATO got bigger and our doors stay open,” he said.

US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken said he was "tempted to say that this is perhaps the only thing we can thank Putin for, because he has accelerated what he claims he wants to prevent with Russian aggression."

Finland brings with it a well-equipped and trained active military force of around 30. He can also call up 000 reservists. It also challenges NATO to help keep its long border with Russia secure, but this is already included in NATO's latest defense plans to secure the alliance.

Sweden's bid has stalled for now as Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has accused Stockholm of supporting Kurdish militants and allowing them to demonstrate in the streets. Hungary also has not yet approved the accession of Sweden.

Handing over the instrument of accession to Blinken, Finnish Foreign Minister Pekka Haavisto said that he had a very important initial task: "The task is to deposit with you also our ratification of Sweden's membership."

Helsinki's journey to membership has been less than a year, and Tuesday's ceremony coincides with the 74th anniversary of NATO's founding in 1949.

“Finland is an amazing ally, very capable, sharing our values, and we look forward to a smooth transition to its proper place at the negotiating table,” said US Ambassador to NATO Julianne Smith.

The Kremlin has said that Russia is forced to take countermeasures to ensure its own security, tactical and strategic, but indicated that it has never disagreed with Helsinki in the sense that Ukraine has become "anti-Russian."

Meanwhile, Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu said on April 4 that the Russian Iskander-M short-range ballistic missile system had been transferred to Belarus and was capable of carrying both nuclear and conventional weapons. According to him, some Belarusian fighters can also carry nuclear weapons.

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Jens Stoltenberg said that NATO has not yet noticed any change in Russia's nuclear policy that would require any change on the part of the alliance. He added that NATO troops would not be stationed in Finland without the consent of the government in Helsinki.

NATO will now have seven members on the Baltic Sea, further isolating Russia's coastal access to St. Petersburg Kaliningrad.

Peskov said Russia would closely monitor how NATO uses Finnish territory "in terms of placing weapons systems and infrastructure there that will be in close proximity to our borders, potentially threatening us."

“Based on this, measures will be taken,” the Kremlin spokesman said.

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