On Tuesday, Finland will make history by joining the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) military alliance.
The decision comes after Hungary and Turkey endorsed Finland’s candidature on Monday and Thursday, respectively. All NATO members must agree unanimously to accept a new member, and Finland’s accession will more than increase the length of the alliance’s border with Russia.
Finland submitted an application for NATO membership on May 17, 2022. The NATO member states signed the Accession Agreement for Finland’s NATO membership on July 5, 2022, thereby inviting Finland to join the Alliance.
Finland’s NATO membership had to be accepted in each member nation, and the final hurdle was surmounted when Turkey gave its approval.
“We will raise the Finnish flag for the first time here at Nato headquarters. It will be a good day for Finland’s security, for Nordic security and for Nato as a whole,” Nato Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg said in Brussels.
“Sweden will also be safer as a result,” he said.
Joining NATO will require Finland to modify its image of itself and its position in Europe, shifting from a “go-it-alone” approach to one of integration into an alliance with dozens of other nations. Finland will continue to participate at its discretion and in accordance with its interests in NATO’s crisis management initiatives.
Being a member of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization, Finland will be able to lobby for Nordic-related concerns within the Alliance.
Finland will become the 31st member of NATO. The decision by Finland to join NATO is a huge loss for Russian President Vladimir Putin. The war in Ukraine prompted Finland to abandon its neutrality, and the country’s officials view joining NATO as an act of peace to secure the safety of the Finnish people.
Source – Tru News Report
