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Finland has officially joined the US-led NATO despite repeated warnings from Russia, which vows countermeasures and plans to bolster its military capacity in its western and northwestern regions, near the border with the Nordic country if the alliance deploys any additional troops or equipment to its new member.
At the headquarters of the NATO in Brussels, a ceremony was held on Tuesday, during which NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg, Finnish Foreign Minister Pekka Haavisto and US Secretary of State Antony Blinken completed the final formalities of Finland’s accession to the US-led transatlantic military alliance in front of the media.
“We can now declare that Finland is the 31st member of the North Atlantic treaty,” Blinken confirmed, after Haavisto, who signed the agreement on Finland’s membership of NATO, deposited the Nordic country’s instrument of accession with his American counterpart.
Separately, Finland’s President Sauli Niinistö also confirmed his country’s membership in a statement.
“Finland has today become a member of the defense alliance NATO. The era of military non-alignment in our history has come to an end. A new era begins,” he said.
“Each country maximizes its own security. So does Finland. At the same time, NATO membership strengthens our international position and room for maneuver. As a partner, we have long actively participated in NATO activities. In the future, Finland will make a contribution to NATO’s collective deterrence and defense,” Niinistö added.
In an apparent reference to Russia’s deep concerns regarding NATO’s expansion, the Finnish president stressed that “Finland’s membership is not targeted against anyone. Nor does it change the foundations or objectives of Finland’s foreign and security policy. Finland is a stable and predictable Nordic country that seeks peaceful resolution of disputes.”
Russia’s reaction to the new membership was strong on Tuesday, as the Kremlin warned that Finland’s NATO membership would force Moscow to take countermeasures.
“The Kremlin believes that this is another aggravation of the situation, that NATO expansion is an encroachment on our security, the interests of the Russian Federation. This is exactly how we perceive it. We will take countermeasures to ensure our own tactical and strategic security,” said Kremlin Spokesman Dmitry Peskov at a press briefing.
He also stressed that the countermeasures that Moscow “deems necessary” would be taken, adding that the Russian Armed Forces would report on the response to NATO actions in the Nordic country.
“Believe me, our military will inform us about everything in a timely manner … We will carefully observe what happens in Finland, how the North Atlantic bloc will exploit the territories in Finland in terms of placing weapons, systems, and infrastructure that will be close to our borders and potentially threaten us. Depending on this, measures will be taken,” Peskov further said.
