Finland’s flag will be hoisted outside NATO headquarters today (Tuesday) when it becomes the newest member of the Western alliance, Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg said. “Tomorrow we will welcome Finland as the 31st member,” Stoltenberg told reporters on the eve of a historic meeting of NATO foreign ministers in Brussels.
Russian President Vladimir Putin’s all-out invasion of Ukraine last year upended European security and pushed Finland — and its neighbour Sweden — to drop decades of non-alignment and seek to join NATO’s protective umbrella.
Objections from Turkey and Hungary held up Helsinki’s bid for months, and are still blocking Stockholm, before the parliament in Ankara cleared the final obstacle for Finland with a vote last week.—AFP
