RIGHT NOW: Putin's response to Finland's entry tomorrow

Finland

Finland will become a NATO member tomorrow 

Of: 

Nelly Kronstrand  

Published: Less than 2 hours ago  

Updated: Less than 40 min ago  

NEWS  

Finland will become an official member of NATO on Tuesday.  

- Finland is getting safer and our alliance is getting stronger, says Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg at a press conference in Brussels.  

Now Russia is responding to the announcement by strengthening the military capacity, according to Reuters. 

Finland will become a member of the NATO defense alliance on Tuesday. This is stated by the President of Finland, Sauli Niinistö, in a press release. 

A welcoming ceremony will be held in Brussels to welcome the country into the defense alliance.  

In addition to the president, the country's foreign minister will also be present Pekka Haavisto and Defense Minister Antti Kaikkonen to participate during the ceremony. 

Jens Stoltenberg, NATO Secretary General. Photo: Geert Vanden Wijngaert / AP 

"A historic week"  

The announcement is confirmed by NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg during a press conference on Monday. 

- This is a historic week. Tomorrow we welcome Finland to become NATO's 31st member. Finland becomes safer and our alliance becomes stronger. We will raise Finland's flag for the first time outside NATO headquarters, says Stoltenberg, Svenska Yle reports. 

He also states that Finnish membership will have a positive impact on Sweden's security situation. 

- This also makes Sweden safer, says Stoltenberg.  

Turkey last to approve  

Turkey was the last member state to ratify Finland's membership.  

On Saturday, President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan signed the country's parliament's decision on Saturday.  

According to Stoltenberg, Turkey will deliver the ratification documents to the US in Brussels on Tuesday, and after that Finland will deliver its accession documents.  

- After that, Finland will be a full member of the alliance, says Stoltenberg. 

Russian response to the message  

Now Russia is responding to the announcement by strengthening the military capacity, according to Reuters.  

This is stated by Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Alexander Grushko for the Russian state news agency RIA. 

- In the event that forces and assets from other NATO members are deployed in Finland, we will take additional measures to reliably ensure Russia's military security, he told the Russian news agency.

”En historisk vecka”

Beskedet bekräftas av Natos generalsekreterare Jens Stoltenberg under en pressträff på måndagen.

– Det här är en historisk vecka. I morgon välkomnar vi Finland att bli Natos 31:a medlem. Finland blir säkrare och vår allians blir starkare. Vi kommer att hissa Finlands flagga för första gången utanför Natos huvudkvarter, säger Stoltenberg, rapporterar Svenska Yle.

Han uppger även att det finska medlemskapet kommer ha en positiv inverkan på Sveriges säkerhetsläge.

– Därmed blir också Sverige säkrare, säger Stoltenberg.