LVIV, Ukraine — Leaders of Finland said Sunday that the Nordic nation plans to seek membership in the North Atlantic Treaty Organization, a move almost certain to escalate geopolitical tensions arising from the Russian war in Ukraine.
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.
“This is a historic day,” Niinisto said. “A new era begins.”
