Get all your news in one place.
100’s of premium titles.
One app.
Start reading
The Independent UK
The Independent UK
National
Holly Patrick

Watch: Nato secretary general and Finnish president mark Finland’s accession to alliance

ANTTI HAMALAINEN/Lehtikuva/AFP via Getty Images

Nato secretary general Jens Stoltenberg and Finnish president Sauli Niinisto took part in a ceremony to mark Finland's accession to the military alliance on Tuesday, 4 April.

The Northern European country - which borders Russia - applied to join the military alliance following Vladimir Putin's invasion of Ukraine.

Pekka Haavisto, the Finnish foreign minister, has signed the accession document and given it to US Secretary of State Antony Blinken.

Finland will now be protected by Nato's Article Five, meaning that if the country was invaded or attacked it would be aided by all Nato members.

"It will be a good day for Finland’s security, for Nordic security, and for Nato as a whole,” Mr Stoltenberg said ahead of the ceremony.

Moscow has responded by promising to boost troop number in its western and northwestern regions.

Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov labelled the move as a "violation of our security and our national interests".

Click here to sign up for our newsletters.

Sign up to read this article
Read news from 100’s of titles, curated specifically for you.
Already a member? Sign in here
Related Stories
Top stories on inkl right now
One subscription that gives you access to news from hundreds of sites
Already a member? Sign in here
Our Picks
Fourteen days free
Download the app
One app. One membership.
100+ trusted global sources.