On April 4, 2023, Finland became a new member of NATO by depositing its instrument of accession to the North Atlantic Treaty with the United States at NATO Headquarters in Brussels.
NATO allies signed Finland’s Accession Protocol on 5 July 2022, after which all 30 national parliaments voted to ratify the country’s membership.
Finnish Foreign Minister Pekka Haavisto handed over the document he signed on joining the alliance to US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken. For his part, Finnish President Sauli Niinistö said that his country has a lot of work to do to coordinate its defense within the NATO defense strategy.
Finland’s accession to NATO means its accession to the mutual defense pact of the members of the alliance, which significantly changes the balance of power in Northern Europe, writes the Financial Times. The replenishment of the alliance by Finland approximately doubles the length of the border between NATO and Russia at a time of heightened tensions between the parties, the newspaper notes.
