Finland became the 31st member of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization ie NATO on Tuesday. At one time it seemed unimaginable but now the security equation in Europe is changing rapidly.
Finland’s joining NATO is not only important because it borders Russia, but it is also important because Finland used to advocate not to join any faction.
Finland’s joining NATO is also being seen as a setback for Russian President Vladimir Putin. When Putin attacked Ukraine in February last year, one reason was also given that he would not allow the expansion of NATO towards the east.
Along with Finland, Sweden also applied for NATO membership. Both countries had made this application only after Russia’s attack on Ukraine.
It was believed that both Finland and Sweden would join NATO simultaneously but Hungary and Turkey have blocked Sweden. It is not yet clear when the way for Sweden to join NATO will be clear. All the members of NATO have to agree on the joining of the new member.
Russia had warned Finland and Sweden about joining NATO and said that it would be a wrong step for both the countries. On Tuesday, Russian President Putin’s spokesman Dmitry Peskov said on Finland’s joining NATO that it is an encroachment in Russian security.
Putin had earlier said, “Russia has no border disputes with Finland and Sweden, so it depends on them whether to join NATO or not. But if NATO military units or any of its infrastructure are deployed in these countries, Russia will not remain silent.”
