Russia Makes These THREATS As Finland Set To Join NATO

Like all NATO members, Finland will benefit from the collective security guarantee of Article 5, which stipulates that an armed attack against one or more of them in Europe or North America will be deemed an attack against them all. In a ceremony scheduled for the afternoon, the Finnish flag will be raised between the French and Estonian flags, marking the fastest accession process in the organization's recent history.

Despite NATO's assurances that it has no immediate plans to increase its presence in Finland, Russia's Deputy Foreign Minister Alexander Grushko has warned that Moscow will increase its forces near Finland in response to NATO's deployment of additional troops or equipment.

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April 04, 2023

While Putin has persistently criticized NATO's eastward expansion, some members have deployed troops there in recent years for military exercises. Although NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg has observed that Putin waged war against Russia with the aim of pushing back NATO, the addition of Finland as a member ultimately undermines this goal. Finland has substantial, well-trained armed forces with elite troops equipped to operate in the sub-zero temperatures of the high north. It also has a large reserve army and invests heavily in new equipment, including dozens of U.S.-made F-35 fighter jets.

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Following Russia's invasion of Ukraine last year, Finland applied to join NATO in May 2022, as did neighboring Sweden. However, the accession process for Sweden is expected to take longer. Including Finland helps complete NATO's geographical map, filling a significant gap in the strategically important Baltic Sea region in Europe's north.

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According to Stoltenberg, Turkey, the last country to have ratified Finland's membership, will deliver the official document to U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken on Tuesday. Afterward, NATO will invite Finland to submit its own documents, finalizing the procedure. All 30 allies have previously signed accession protocols for Finland and Sweden, with Turkey and Hungary delaying the process for months but eventually consenting to Finland's membership.

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Although NATO requires the unanimous agreement of all members before new members join, most members are eager to bring Sweden into the alliance before U.S. President Joe Biden and his counterparts convene for the next summit in Vilnius, Lithuania, on July 11-12.