Not too long ago it seemed unthinkable, but on Tuesday Finland became the 31st member of NATO. Europe’s security landscape is now forever changed, and NATO’s Russian border is now doubled.
Not only is this a blow to Russia’s anti-NATO aims, but it ends Helsinki’s decades of nonalignment.
NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg said of the addition that “President Putin wanted to slam NATO’s door shut. Today we showed the world that he failed, that aggression and intimidation do not work. Instead of less NATO, he has achieved the opposite: more NATO. And our door remains firmly open.”
Meanwhile, Finland’s President Sauli Niinistö said it was a “great day for Finland” but also an important day for the security and stability of the NATO alliance.
Sweden applied with Finland to join, but is still going through the process.
The historic moment for Finland comes as their government is changing: Finnish voters denied liberal prime minister Sanna Marin another term, instead backing the center-right National Coalition Party.
