Finland officially joins NATO on Tuesday, becoming the 31st member of the world’s biggest military alliance – a step that Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg said would make the region safer and the organisation stronger.
"We will raise the Finnish flag for the first time here at NATO headquarters. It will be a good day for Finland's security, for Nordic security and for NATO as a whole," Stoltenberg told reporters in Brussels on Monday.
"Sweden will also be safer as a result."
Stoltenberg said he hoped Sweden would also be able to join NATO in the coming months.
Membership ceremony
Finnish President Sauli Niinisto, Defence Minister Antti Kaikkonen and Foreign Minister Pekka Haavisto were to attend a ceremony inaugurating Finland’s membership.
“It is an historic moment for us. For Finland, the most important objective at the meeting will be to emphasise NATO’s support to Ukraine as Russia continues its illegal aggression,” Haavisto said in a statement.
“We seek to promote stability and security throughout the Euro-Atlantic region.”
Finland’s entry to NATO comes after an election at the weekend in which left-wing Prime Minister Sanna Marin, who championed her country’s NATO accession, lost to the opposition Conservatives.
Both Finland and Sweden abandoned their traditional positions of military non-alignment after Russia invaded Ukraine a year ago.
Invaded by its giant neighbour the Soviet Union in 1939, Finland -- which has a 1,300-kilometre border with Russia -- stayed out of NATO throughout the Cold War.
Now its membership brings a potent military into the alliance with a wartime strength of 280,000 and one of Europe's largest artillery arsenals.
Its strategic location bolsters NATO's defences on a border running from the vulnerable Baltic states to the increasingly competitive Arctic.
Russian warnings
News of Finland’s accession prompted warnings from Russia that it would ramp up its defences near their shared border if NATO deploys any troops in its newest member.
“We will strengthen our military potential in the west and in the north-west,” Deputy Foreign Minister Alexander Grushko said in comments reported by the state RIA Novosti news agency.
“In case of deployment of forces of other NATO members on the territory of Finland, we will take addition steps to ensure Russia’s military security.”
Turkey was the last NATO country to ratify Finland's accession after Ankara said Helsinki had taken steps to crack down on groups seen by Turkey as terrorists, and to free up defence exports.
Turkey is still blocking Sweden's membership, however, saying Stockholm has failed to sufficiently crackdown on such groups.
(with wires)
