Finland joins NATO, doubling alliance’s border with Russia in blow to Putin

(CNN) Finland officially became the 31st member of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization on Tuesday, marking a major shift in the security landscape in northeastern Europe adding about 1,300 kilometers (830 miles) to its alliance border with Russia.

The Nordic countries’ membership was sealed in a formal ceremony at NATO headquarters in Brussels on Tuesday.

Finland’s acceptance into the US-led security alliance is a blow to Russian President Vladimir Putin.

The invasion prompted non-aligned Finland and Sweden to abandon their neutrality and seek protection within NATO, while Sweden’s attempts to join the bloc were stalled by alliance members Turkey and Hungary.

On the eve of Tuesday’s ceremony, NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg announced the raising of the Finnish flag for the first time at the alliance headquarters in Belgium, saying, “It will be a good day for Finnish security, Nordic security and NATO.” said. whole. “

But Russia has warned that further expansion of NATO will not bring more stability to Europe and said on Monday it would expand its forces near Finland if the alliance sent troops and equipment to new member states. .

Russia’s Deputy Foreign Minister Aleksandr Grushko told Russian state news agency RIA Novosti that “as NATO members deploy troops and equipment on Finnish territory, we will strengthen our military capabilities in the west and northwest.”

Before Tuesday, Russia shared about 1,215 kilometers (755 miles) of border with five NATO members. With Finland’s accession, NATO’s borders with Russia will more than double hers.

What it means for Finland and the Alliance

Finland’s membership in NATO ensures that the Nordic countries have access to allied resources in the event of an attack.

This includes the protection provided by NATO’s Article 5 principle, which states that an attack on one NATO member is an attack on all members. Founded in 1949 as a counterweight to the Soviet Union, it has been the cornerstone of an alliance of 30 nations.

Joining NATO also better integrates Finnish forces in training and planning with NATO allies.

The country is accustomed to working with NATO and its military regularly participates in NATO exercises in partner capacity.

The Finnish Armed Forces also operates some of the same weapons systems as other NATO member states, such as the US-made F/A-18 fighter, the German-designed Leopard main battle tank, and the K9 howitzer used in Norway and Estonia. I’m here.

Helsinki has also signed the F-35 Stealth Fighter Program. This will allow the Air Force to work seamlessly with NATO member states, including the United States, United Kingdom, Norway, Italy, Canada, Poland, Denmark, and the Netherlands.

A November report from the Washington-based Wilson Center identified three key areas where Finland would benefit NATO: reserve forces, access to technology, and artillery power.

“Finnish artillery is the largest and best equipped in Western Europe,” the report said.

Equipped with about 1,500 artillery weapons, including 700 howitzers, 700 heavy mortars, and 100 rocket-launching systems, the Finnish artillery corps currently has a combined Polish, German, Norwegian and Swedish force. We have more firepower than we can muster,” he said.

The Wilson Center report also noted Finland’s strong cybersecurity record, saying the country is home to Nokia, a “leading provider of 5G infrastructure,” alongside Sweden’s Ericsson and China’s Huawei. pointed out that it is one of the three leading providers of 5G infrastructure in the world.

He said Finland could muster up 900,000 reserves trained as conscripts in the army.

sweden still waiting

Finland’s accession comes just days after the Turkish parliament voted to ratify the country’s accession, clearing the final hurdle for the country to join NATO, ending a months-long delay. .

In Finland and Sweden, public support for joining NATO surged after the invasion of Ukraine. “Everything changed when Russia invaded Ukraine,” Finnish Prime Minister Sanna Marin said last April. “The mindset of Finnish and Swedish people has changed dramatically.”

NATO has an open door policy. This means that interested countries can be invited to join as long as they are able and willing to uphold the principles of the treaty that created the alliance.

However, under the accession rules, any member state can refuse to join a new country.

An overwhelming majority of NATO member states welcomed the applications of Finland and Sweden, but two countries, Turkey and Hungary, began to delay the process.

Turkey and Hungary have since softened their stance on Finland’s accession, opening their doors to accession in March, but continuing to block Sweden’s application for accession.

But there is hope for the Swedish tender. On Monday, Stoltenberg said Finland’s accession was “a celebration in itself” but also good for Sweden.

“It integrates Sweden into NATO and makes Sweden even more secure,” Stoltenberg said. “While we celebrate and enjoy Finland becoming a full member, we must continue work to finalize the accession process for Sweden.”

CNN’s Brad Rendon contributed to this report.