Finland formally declared its desire to join NATO in a move likely to enrage the Kremlin and which comes as Russia’s invasion of Ukraine appears to be faltering.
President Sauli Niinisto and Prime Minister Sanna Marin made the announcement during a joint news conference in Helsinki. The long-neutral nation shares an 830-mile-long border with Russia, which has spooked neighboring nations with its attack on Ukraine.
“This is a historic day,” Niinsto said. “A new era begins.”
Finland confirms it is applying to join NATO to 'maximise' country's security https://t.co/nC6smAsGxI
— Sky News (@SkyNews) May 15, 2022
A formal application to the Brussels-based defensive alliance could come as soon as next week, once the Finnish Parliament ratifies the decision. The move is both an affirmation of the western world’s condemnation of Moscow’s invasion and evidence non-NATO countries believe they may need protection from a bellicose Russian President Vladimir Putin.
“The brutal invasion (by) Russia is losing momentum,” NATO Deputy-Secretary General Mircea Geoana told reporters Sunday.
Source: Dailywire
