ALBAWABA - Finland has officially become the 31st member of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization's security alliance, doubling the length of member states' borders with Russia.
The Finnish foreign minister handed the accession document to U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken, who declared Finland a member in a historic moment on Tuesday.
Finland's white-and-blue flag was hoisted, joining 30 other flags on the front side of NATO's new headquarters, while a military band played Finland's national anthem followed by the NATO hymn in a brief and symbolic ceremony.
Non-aligned Finland had asked to join along with Sweden in May 2022. Sweden can become a full NATO member country once all of the member countries have ratified its application for NATO membership.
With Finland's joining, NATO's border with Russia has doubled, a serious a setback for Russian President Vladimir Putin, who repeatedly complained of NATO's expansion before his February 2022 invasion of Ukraine.
In Russia, Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov warned that Russia would be "watching closely" what happens in Finland. He described NATO's enlargement as a "violation of our security and our national interests."
JUST IN ? Finland NATO membership ‘an assault on our security’: Kremlin https://t.co/FWFbtspGhQ
— Insider Paper (@TheInsiderPaper) April 4, 2023
