Finland officially joined NATO

Finland officially became the 31st member of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) on Tuesday, April 4, 2023, in a brief ceremony at the military alliance's headquarters in Brussels, ending a process that began less than a year ago.

“We announce Finland as the 31st member of the alliance,” US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken said after receiving the legal documents. Finland's entry into the transatlantic alliance increases NATO's direct border with Russia by 1,300 kilometers.

Foreign ministers of NATO member countries handed over to the United States documents on Finland's accession to the alliance.