Finland must apply for Nato membership without delay, Finnish President and PM say

Finland should submit an application to join the Nato military alliance, Finnish President Sauli Niinisto and Prime Minister Sanna Marin said in a joint statement on Thursday, a major policy shift triggered by Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.

“Finland must apply for Nato membership without delay,” Niinisto and Marin said in a joint statement.

The announcement by Niinisto and Marin means Finland is virtually certain to seek the membership though a few steps remain before the application process can begin.

Neighbouring Sweden is expected to decide on joining Nato in coming days.

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Finland, which shares a 1,300km border and a difficult past with Russia, has previously remained outside the North Atlantic Treaty Organization to maintain friendly relations with its eastern neighbour.

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