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Finland to join Nato on Tuesday as Russia sounds border warning Finland to join Nato on Tuesday as Russia sounds border warning
(about 3 hours later)
Moscow threatens to bolster border defences if western military alliance deploys troops inside FinlandMoscow threatens to bolster border defences if western military alliance deploys troops inside Finland
Finland will become the 31st member of the world’s biggest military alliance on Tuesday, the Nato secretary general, Jens Stoltenberg, has said, prompting a warning from Russia that it would bolster its defences near their joint border if Nato deploys any troops inside the country. Russia has said it will bolster its defences near its 1,300km border with Finland after the Nato secretary general, Jens Stoltenberg, announced that the Nordic country would formally join the transatlantic defence alliance on Tuesday.
“This is a historic week,” Stoltenberg told reporters on the eve of a meeting of Nato foreign ministers in Brussels. “From tomorrow, Finland will be a full member of the alliance.” He said he hoped Sweden would be able to join in coming months. The accession marks the end of an accelerated process that began last May, when Finland and neighbouring Sweden abandoned decades of military nonalignment to seek security as Nato members after Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
Stoltenberg, a former Norwegian prime minister, said that on Tuesday afternoon, “we will raise the Finnish flag for the first time here at the Nato headquarters. It will be a good day for Finland’s security, for Nordic security, and for Nato as a whole.” Turkey last week became the last of the alliance’s 30 member states to ratify Finland’s application, but Turkey and Hungary continue to hold up Sweden’s bid. Stockholm said last week it was not sure it would join in time for a planned Nato summit in July.
Stoltenberg said Turkey, the last country to ratify Finland’s membership, would hand its official texts to the US secretary of state, Antony Blinken, on Tuesday. Stoltenberg said he would then invite Finland to do the same. “Tomorrow we will welcome Finland as the 31st member of Nato, making Finland safer and our alliance stronger,” Stoltenberg said in Brussels on Monday. “We will raise the Finnish flag for the first time here at Nato headquarters.”
The Finnish president, Sauli Niinistö, and the defence minister, Antti Kaikkonen, will attend the ceremony, along with the foreign minister, Pekka Haavisto. Ankara and Helsinki would hand their official texts to the US secretary of state, Antony Blinken, on Tuesday, at which point Finland would become a Nato member, he said, describing the moment as “historic”.
“It is a historic moment for us. For Finland, the most important objective at the meeting will be to emphasise Nato support to Ukraine as Russia continues its illegal aggression,” Haavisto said in a statement. “We seek to promote stability and security throughout the Euro-Atlantic region.” Finland’s accession was “good for Finland’s security, for Nordic security and for Nato as a whole,” he added. “President Putin went to war against Ukraine with the clear aim to get less Nato. He’s getting the exact opposite.”
Russia’s deputy foreign minister, Alexander Grushko, said Moscow would respond to Finland becoming a member of the alliance by bolstering its defences if needed. The Finnish president, Sauli Niinistö, and the foreign minister, Pekka Haavisto, will travel to Brussels to take part in the ceremony. “It is a historic moment for us,” Haavisto said in a statement after Stoltenberg’s announcement.
“We will strengthen our military potential in the west and in the north-west,” Grushko said in remarks carried by the RIA Novosti state news agency. “In case of deployment of forces of other Nato members on the territory of Finland, we will take addition steps to ensure Russia’s military security.” “For Finland, the most important objective at the meeting will be to emphasise Nato’s support to Ukraine as Russia continues its illegal aggression. We seek to promote stability and security throughout the Euro-Atlantic region.”
The announcement of Finland’s entry came hours after Finnish voters gave a boost to conservative parties in a weekend election, depriving the leftwing prime minister, Sanna Marin, of another term. Marin had championed her country’s Nato accession. In Moscow, Russia’s deputy foreign minister, Alexander Grushko, responded to the news of Finland’s accession by saying Russia would increase its forces in its west and northwestern regions if necessary.
Fearing they might be targeted after Russia invaded Ukraine a year ago, the Nordic neighbours Finland and Sweden abandoned their traditional positions of military non-alignment to seek protection under Nato’s security umbrella.
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All 30 allies signed Finland’s and Sweden’s accession protocols. Turkey and Hungary delayed the process for months but have relented on Finland. Turkey has sought guarantees and assurances from the two countries, notably on tackling extremism. Hungary’s demands have never been explicit. If the “forces and resources of other Nato members are deployed in Finland, we will take additional steps to reliably ensure Russia’s military security” by “strengthening our military potential in the west and in the northwest”, Grushko said.
Nato must agree unanimously for new members to join. The alliance’s officials are also keen to bring Sweden within the fold before a meeting between the US president, Joe Biden, and his Nato counterparts in the Lithuanian capital, Vilnius, on 11-12 July. Turkey continues to delay Sweden’s accession, arguing that Stockholm is sheltering members of what Ankara considers terrorist groups – a charge Sweden denies – and has demanded their extradition as a step toward ratifying Swedish membership.
“Sweden is not left alone. Sweden is as close as it can come as a fully fledged member,” Stoltenberg said. Relations were also hit by a demonstration in January near the Turkish embassy in Stockholm at which a far-right politician burned a copy of the Qur’an. Sweden has said it takes Turkey’s allegations seriously.
Sweden’s foreign minister, Tobias Billström, said last week he was no longer confident that his country would be able to join the alliance by July, after fresh objections from Hungary. “I think ‘hopeful’ in this context is better,” Billstrom said.
Hungary also objects to unspecified “grievances” over past Swedish criticisms of prime minister Viktor Orbán’s policies. Stoltenberg said Nato was working hard to get Sweden on board as soon as possible.
Officials are keen to bring Sweden in before US president Joe Biden and other alliance leaders meet in the Lithuanian capital, Vilnius, on 11 and 12 July. “Sweden is not left alone. Sweden is as close as it can come as a full-fledged member,” Stoltenberg said.
Russia’s defence minister, Sergei Shoigu, said last year that Russia was taking “adequate countermeasures” in light of Finland’s and Sweden’s Nato membership bids and would form 12 units and divisions in its western military district.
Reuters and Associated Press contributed to this report