LVIV, Ukraine — Signaling what they called a “new era,” leaders of Finland and Sweden said Sunday they will seek membership in the North Atlantic Treaty Organization within days, a move almost certain to escalate geopolitical tensions arising from the Russian war in Ukraine.
Having dealt a number of significant if limited setbacks to Moscow’s forces, Ukraine expressed renewed optimism over its conduct of the war and the wider ramifications — not the least of which is the likelihood of a larger NATO.
At a joint news conference in the presidential palace in Helsinki, President Sauli Niinisto and Prime Minister Sanna Marin announced the decision by Finland — which has long been a neutral country — to apply for entry into the U.S.-led alliance. The move would significantly alter the trans-Atlantic security architecture in existence since the end of World War II.
