{"id":14600,"date":"2023-04-05T01:55:04","date_gmt":"2023-04-04T23:55:04","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.ir-ia.com\/news\/?p=14600"},"modified":"2023-04-05T01:55:42","modified_gmt":"2023-04-04T23:55:42","slug":"finland-becomes-31st-member-of-nato-in-major-blow-to-russia","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.ir-ia.com\/news\/finland-becomes-31st-member-of-nato-in-major-blow-to-russia\/","title":{"rendered":"Finland becomes 31st member of NATO military alliance in major blow to Russia"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p><strong>The blue-and-white flag of&nbsp;Finland was raised at NATO\u2019s headquarters in Brussels alongside its Western partners after the Nordic country formally became the 31st member of the world\u2019s largest military alliance.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Helsinki\u2019s official accession into NATO came on April 4, 2023. <a href=\"https:\/\/www.ir-ia.com\/news\/tag\/finland\/\"><span style=\"color:#ac0707\" class=\"has-inline-color\">Finland<\/span><\/a> has shifted from its historically neutral stance to join the NATO alliance as the 31st member as an aftereffect of the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.ir-ia.com\/news\/russia-launches-invasion-of-ukraine-as-western-leaders-condemns-attack\/\"><span style=\"color:#ac0707\" class=\"has-inline-color\">Russian invasion of Ukraine<\/span><\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>In a ceremony hosted by NATO chief Jens Stoltenberg, Finnish Foreign Minister Pekka Haavisto completed the accession process by handing over an official document to U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken and ending its seven decades of military non-alignment. The U.S. State Department is the repository of NATO\u2019s official documents concerning the membership.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Jens Stoltenberg, who had been working actively to bring Finland and Sweden into the alliance, hailed the historic moment and said that it is \u201ca good day for Finland\u2019s security, for Nordic security, and for NATO as a whole. This will make Finland safer and NATO stronger,\u201d he said. \u201cThis has been the fastest accession process in NATO\u2019s history.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\"><p lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\">Thirty-one flags flying together as a symbol of our unity and solidarity.<a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/hashtag\/Finland?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">#Finland<\/a> is safer and <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/hashtag\/NATO?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">#NATO<\/a> is stronger with Finland as an Ally <br>Welcome to our Alliance \ud83c\uddeb\ud83c\uddee <a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/eJh5G6PK0o\">pic.twitter.com\/eJh5G6PK0o<\/a><\/p>\u2014 Jens Stoltenberg (@jensstoltenberg) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/jensstoltenberg\/status\/1643264655333154819?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">April 4, 2023<\/a><\/blockquote> <script async=\"\" src=\"https:\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script>\n\n\n\n<p>Standing alongside Finnish, the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nato.int\/cps\/en\/natohq\/news_213448.htm\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\"><span style=\"color:#ac0707\" class=\"has-inline-color\">NATO chief said<\/span><\/a>: \u201cFinland is safer and NATO is stronger with Finland as an Ally. Your forces are substantial and highly capable, your resilience is second to none and for many years troops from Finland and NATO countries have worked side-by-side as partners. From today, we stand together as Allies.&#8221;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Finnish President <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/niinisto\/status\/1643233627222810624\/photo\/1\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\"><span style=\"color:#ac0707\" class=\"has-inline-color\">Sauli Niinisto said<\/span><\/a> that Finland\u2019s membership was not \u201ctargeted against anyone. He said that \u201dFinland&#8217;s most significant contribution to NATO&#8217;s collective deterrence and defense is built on the security and defense of our own territory.\u201d He added that there was still significant work to be done to coordinate this with NATO.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Niinisto also urged for its neighboring Nordic state Sweden\u2019s accession into the alliance by stating that \u201cFinland\u2019s membership is not complete without Sweden. I look forward to Sweden joining us as the 32nd member.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The outgoing Finnish Prime Minister Sanna Marin said \u201cFinland is entering a new era as a member of NATO\u201d.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" data-conversation=\"none\"><p lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\">Finland is entering a new era as a member of NATO. I am proud of Finland and the Finnish people. As a nation, we have been united throughout this historic process. Thank you to our Allies for your trust. Together we will be even stronger.<\/p>\u2014 Sanna Marin (@MarinSanna) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/MarinSanna\/status\/1643233922459873281?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">April 4, 2023<\/a><\/blockquote> <script async=\"\" src=\"https:\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cI\u2019m tempted to say this is maybe the one thing that we can thank Mr. Putin for because he once again here precipitated something he claims to want to prevent by Russia\u2019s aggression, causing many countries to believe that they have to do more to look out for their defense and to make sure that they can deter possible Russian aggression going forward,\u201d U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken said just before accepting the documents that made Finland\u2019s membership official.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\"><p lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\">Today, we are honored to welcome Finland as <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/NATO?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">@NATO<\/a>\u2019s 31st Ally. Finland\u2019s membership strengthens our collective defense and enhances our ability to respond to security challenges in the region. <a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/k2K1metfT2\">pic.twitter.com\/k2K1metfT2<\/a><\/p>&mdash; Secretary Antony Blinken (@SecBlinken) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/SecBlinken\/status\/1643291417798668290?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">April 4, 2023<\/a><\/blockquote> <script async src=\"https:\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Sweden\u2019s accession to the NATO alliance<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Finland and Sweden started their process to join the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.ir-ia.com\/news\/tag\/nato\/\"><span style=\"color:#ac0707\" class=\"has-inline-color\">NATO alliance<\/span><\/a> together in May last year after Russia began its invasion of Ukraine. Both countries needed approval from all the existing 30 members before being included in the alliance. Finland gathered enough support from the NATO member states to complete its accession process, however, Sweden\u2019s bid to join NATO is still in limbo after Turkey and Hungary raised concerns over its addition to the alliance.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Ankara accuses <a href=\"https:\/\/www.ir-ia.com\/news\/tag\/sweden\/\"><span style=\"color:#ac0707\" class=\"has-inline-color\">Sweden<\/span><\/a> of supporting and providing asylum to the leaders of the separatist and insurgent groups active in Turkey. Turkey has put forward a list of demands for the Swedish administration to fulfill, only then Ankara would approve their bid to join the alliance. Negotiations, mediated by NATO officials, are underway between the two sides.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\"><figure class=\"alignleft size-large is-resized\"><a href=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.ir-ia.com\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/04\/Finland-NATO-member-2023.jpeg?ssl=1\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.ir-ia.com\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/04\/Finland-NATO-member-2023.jpeg?resize=861%2C574&#038;ssl=1\" alt=\"The blue-and-white flag of Finland was raised at NATO\u2019s headquarters in Brussels alongside its Western partners after the Nordic country formally became the 31st member of the world\u2019s largest military alliance\" class=\"wp-image-14602\" width=\"861\" height=\"574\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.ir-ia.com\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/04\/Finland-NATO-member-2023.jpeg?resize=1024%2C683&amp;ssl=1 1024w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.ir-ia.com\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/04\/Finland-NATO-member-2023.jpeg?resize=300%2C200&amp;ssl=1 300w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.ir-ia.com\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/04\/Finland-NATO-member-2023.jpeg?resize=768%2C512&amp;ssl=1 768w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.ir-ia.com\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/04\/Finland-NATO-member-2023.jpeg?resize=589%2C392&amp;ssl=1 589w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.ir-ia.com\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/04\/Finland-NATO-member-2023.jpeg?w=1200&amp;ssl=1 1200w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 861px) 100vw, 861px\" \/><\/a><figcaption><em><sup>31 Allied flags are flying at NATO headquarters on April 4, 2023, in Brussels, including the newest addition &#8211; the flag of Finland which became a full member of NATO. (Image Credit: Finland at NATO)<\/sup><\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Russia threatens \u2018counter-measures\u2019<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Finland shares one of the longest European borders with Russia stretching up to 1340 kilometers. Russia\u2019s second-largest city and President Vladimir Putin\u2019s hometown, St Petersburg is only 150 kilometers away from the Finnish border. With Finland\u2019s accession to the NATO alliance, Russia faces a new challenge on its North Western border. Russia had indicated earlier this if Finland and Sweden joined NATO, Moscow would be forced to increase its military presence in the western and northwestern regions.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Russia\u2019s Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu told Russia&#8217;s military leadership that Finland&#8217;s accession \u201ccreates the risks of a significant expansion of conflict\u201d but added that it would not affect Russia\u2019s \u201cspecial military operation\u201d in Ukraine.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>One of the reasons why Russia started its \u201cspecial military operation\u201d in Ukraine was to stop Kyiv from joining the NATO alliance as it would bring the NATO outposts right next to its border. With Finland\u2019s accession to NATO, Russia is facing a new challenge of dealing with NATO military outposts on one of its longest borders shared with any European country.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said that after Finland\u2019s accession to NATO, Moscow is forced to take \u201ccountermeasures\u201d. He said that NATO\u2019s expansion is an &#8220;encroachment on our security and Russia&#8217;s national interests\u201d. Russia&#8217;s Foreign Ministry said Finland was committing a dangerous historic mistake by joining NATO that would dilute its influence on the world stage and hurt its ties with Moscow.&nbsp;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>The blue-and-white flag of Finland was raised at NATO\u2019s headquarters in Brussels alongside its Western partners after the Nordic country formally became the 31st member of the world\u2019s largest military alliance.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":14601,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":true,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2}},"categories":[62,1],"tags":[6,357,239,5,59,20,113,213,82,540],"class_list":["post-14600","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-europe","category-news","tag-defense","tag-europe","tag-finland","tag-military","tag-nato","tag-russia","tag-security","tag-sweden","tag-turkey","tag-turkiye"],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.ir-ia.com\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/04\/Finland-joins-NATO.jpeg?fit=690%2C370&ssl=1","jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p7jJWb-3Nu","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.ir-ia.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/14600","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.ir-ia.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.ir-ia.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.ir-ia.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.ir-ia.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=14600"}],"version-history":[{"count":5,"href":"https:\/\/www.ir-ia.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/14600\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":14618,"href":"https:\/\/www.ir-ia.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/14600\/revisions\/14618"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.ir-ia.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/14601"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.ir-ia.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=14600"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.ir-ia.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=14600"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.ir-ia.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=14600"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}