Finland's white flag emblazoned with a blue cross was hoisted at NATO headquarters Tuesday as the Nordic country joined the transatlantic alliance, a move ending decades of neutrality and spurred by Russia's invasion of Ukraine.
It was a historic moment that realigned Europe's post-World War II security architecture. It was also bittersweet: U.S. and other North Atlantic Treaty Organization officials had hoped Sweden would be entering the alliance at the same time. But Stockholm could not overcome objections from member state Turkey, which accuses Sweden of harboring Kurdish militants.
The formal accession of Finland, celebrated during a meeting of foreign ministers at NATO headquarters in Brussels, is a major setback for Russian President Vladimir Putin.
