Finland has decided to apply to join the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO), its president and prime minister announced on Sunday, a direct result of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
“Today, the President of the Republic and the State Committee for Foreign Policy jointly agreed that Finland, after consultation with Parliament, will apply for NATO membership. This is a historic day and the beginning of a new era,” President Sauli Niinistö said.
The next step is to convene the Finnish Parliament on Monday to discuss the decision, with current expectations showing that a majority of the 200 members of Parliament will support the candidacy.
Prime Minister Sanna Marin said: “Today we have taken an important decision in close cooperation with the Government and the President of the Republic. We hope that Parliament will confirm the decision to apply for NATO membership in the coming days. It will be done. based on a strong mandate.”
Finland, which shares a 1,300-kilometer border with Russia, has remained militarily impartial for 75 years.
But after the eastern neighbor invaded Ukraine in February, public and political opinion shifted sharply in favor of membership, with Finland’s president and prime minister on Thursday urging Finland to join NATO “without delay.”
