Important week for Finland after electoral vote that led to defeat of the premier Sanna Marin and the victory of the centre-right.
Today, the Finland officially joins NATO (North Atlantic Treaty Organization), the intergovernmental military alliance, born in 1949 as a collective security system of the signatory countries. The Scandinavian nation will be the 31st country of the alliance formed by 29 Europeans and two North Americans.
In Brussels at the NATO headquarters, this afternoon (foundation day of the organization) there will be one flag raising ceremony with the Finnish flag to be hoisted together with that of the other member states: “This is a historic week: today we will welcome Finland as the 31st ally, we will raise the Finnish flag for the first time. Finland and allies will be safer and our alliance will be stronger and it will be a good day for everyone's safety. Helsinki will participate in all meetings and military facilities such as full member” said the NATO secretary general, Jens Stoltenberg. “It is not Moscow that decides who joins. The door to NATO remains open ”adds the secretary general, hoping for Sweden to join as soon as possible:“ let's hope for the near future ”, he explained.
Il free way to the accession of Helsinki had taken place at the end of March, after theapproval of the parliament of Hungary e Turkey. Ankara, after months of obstruction, ratified the Helsinki accession protocols to NATO on 30 March. It all started with the revocation of the veto, last March 17, of the Turkish president Erdogan following the visit to Ankara by the Finnish president Sauli Niinistö. THE'obstruction Turkish stemmed from the accusations made in Helsinki of support and welcome members of the PKK, Kurdistan Workers' Party, hostile to Erdogan.
Stand by of accession, however, the Sweden which must overcome the Turkish veto. Turkey, in fact, to accept Stockholm in the Alliance and be able to start the ratification process is asking for the extradition of PKK militants. “I believe that Sweden too can become a full member of the Alliance” Stoltenberg said, as the country “has kept the commitments contained in the memorandum” signed with Finland and Turkey at the Madrid summit. Swedish membership will be blocked until at least June, after the Turkish presidential elections.
NATO member states
With the entry of Finland and pending Sweden's accession, there are 31 current members of NATO. here is thelist of member states with date of entry into the Atlantic Alliance:
- 4 April 1949 (founding countries): United States, United Kingdom, France, Italy, Canada, Belgium Denmark, Iceland, Luxembourg, Norway, Netherlands, Portugal
- February 18, 1952: Greece and Türkiye
- May 9, 1955: Germany
- May 30, 1982: Spain
- March 12, 1999: Czech Republic, Poland, Hungary
- March 29, 2004: Bulgaria, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia
- April 4, 2009: Albania, Croatia
- June 5, 2017: Montenegro
- March 27, 2020: North Macedonia
- April 4, 2023: Finland
Why Finland and Sweden have applied for NATO membership
Sweden e Finland, from the end of World War II and during the Cold War, have always maintained a neutral line. THE'Russian invasion in Ukraine did waver this neutrality and put the security of the countries in crisis for the fear that in the event of an invasion in their territory they would not be able to count on a collective defense (with the exception of the European one). For this reason, after the outbreak of war between Russia and Ukraine, the two countries decided to apply for NATO membership, worried about Moscow's expansion.
Threatened Russia strengthens defenses in the west
La Russia does not stand by and in response to NATO maneuvers has decided to strengthen its defenses in the west and north-west of the country. “If forces and assets of other NATO members are deployed on Finnish territory, we will take further steps to ensure Russia's military security. Part of the measures have already been announced. We will strengthen our potential in the western and northwest directions,” the Russian Deputy Foreign Minister said, Alexander Grushko.
