Finland officially joins NATO today.
As of today, Finland will become the 31st member of NATO. Yesterday, the Secretary-General of NATO announced this news, stating that Finland’s request for membership in NATO was raised following Russia’s attack on Ukraine, which Finland shares a long border with.
Turkey had delayed this request, citing Finland’s support for terrorists. Sweden also made a request to join NATO last month, but Turkey has blocked it due to similar complaints.
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has accused Sweden of harboring Kurdish militants and allowing them to protest on the streets of Stockholm.
The expansion of NATO requires the support of all its members.
Jens Stoltenberg, the NATO Secretary-General, said in Brussels, ‘We are raising the Finnish flag here at NATO headquarters for the first time. This is a good day for the security of Finland, for the security of Northern Europe, and for NATO as a whole.’ He added that as a result, Sweden will also be safer.
