Finnish President Sauli Niinistö stressed on Tuesday that his country’s entry into NATO implies the end of the non-alignment military posture, but assured that the entry “is not directed against anyone.”
“Finland is a stable and predictable Nordic country that seeks the peaceful resolution of disputes. The principles and values that are important to Finland will continue to guide our foreign policy in the future,” declared the head of state.
He argued that belonging to the Atlantic Alliance provides security to Finland and that the country will be a reliable ally to reinforce regional stability.
“As a partner country, we have been actively participating in NATO activities for a long time. In the future, Finland will contribute to NATO’s collective deterrence and defense,” he said, acknowledging that there is much work to be done to integrate Finnish defense into the NATO system.
For this, he argued, legislative changes and the adoption of “new ways of thinking” will be necessary.
Niinistö pointed out that the most significant Finnish contribution to NATO will be the defense of its own national territory, for which it will now depend on the other members.
Finland has the longest land border with Russia after Ukraine: 1,340 kilometers.
The head of state assured that Finland will continue with “permanent efforts” to achieve a rapid entry of Sweden into NATO, blocked by Hungary and Turkey.
“Finland has applied for NATO membership together with Sweden. Finland’s membership is not complete without Sweden,” he said.
The Finnish flag was raised on Tuesday at the NATO headquarters in Brussels, Belgium, symbolizing the country’s entry into the Atlantic Alliance.
At the headquarters of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) in Brussels, there are already 31 flags raised, with the formalization of Finland as the last member state, the same day that the political-military organization celebrates 74 years of existence.
The brief ceremony took place after the delivery of the documentation that formalizes the conclusion of the process that began less than a year ago, then together with Sweden, but that Helsinki completed alone.
Finland and Sweden officially submitted their applications for NATO membership in May 2022, a few months after the start of the Russian military offensive in Ukraine, which marks the end of its traditional policy of military non-alignment.
The Russian military offensive on Ukrainian territory, launched on February 24 last year, plunged Europe into what is considered the most serious security crisis since World War II (1939-1945).
Source: TSF
