Finland became the 31st member of NATO, completing a tumultuous process of accession sparked by Russia’s invasion of Ukraine that upended the European security landscape.
In a bittersweet moment, Finland gained Article 5 security guarantees and deterrence, but was forced to leave its close neighbor Sweden behind on the doorstep of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization.
Foreign Minister Pekka Haavisto handed Finland’s accession document to U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken in Brussels on Tuesday, marking its formal entry into the alliance’s fold. NATO foreign ministers will celebrate the accession with a flag-raising ceremony later in the day.
