Finland likely to apply for NATO membership on May 18, avers Foreign Minister

In latest development, Finland's Foreign Minister Pekka Haavisto stated that his country may apply for North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) membership on Wednesday, May 18. "Our permanent representative to NATO in Brussels will do this [apply] possibly on Wednesday. If talks with NATO begin, y will be taken care of by a delegation led by foreign minister and defence minister," he told Aftonblet newspaper, as reported by TASS news agency. As per reports, Finland’s parliament is expected to hold discussions on country's NATO membership prospects on May 16. 

Notably, discussion over Finland's probable NATO membership h gared momentum in early April. majority of political leers in country have upheld idea of joining military alliance. Meanwhile, Finnish envoy to NATO, Klaus Korhonen stated that country's decision to join alliance stems from "very drastic change in security environment amid ongoing war between Russia and Ukraine." He went on to say that Finland has a "strong national defence," which will provide intergovernmental military alliance with ditional safety. 

Finland's refusal of tritional policy of military neutrality would be a "mistake": Putin

Earlier on Saturday, Russian President Vlimir Putin spoke to his Finnish counterpart Sauli Niinistö. During discussion, Putin stated that Finland's refusal of tritional policy of military neutrality would be a "mistake" since re are no significant threats to its security. Meanwhile, Finland's President Niinistö informed Putin that Nordic country will decide on its NATO membership in coming days. "President Niinistö told President Putin how fundamentally Russian demands in late 2021 aiming at preventing countries from joining NATO and Russia’s massive invasion of Ukraine in February 2022 have altered security environment of Finland," Niinistö's office said in a statement, CNN reported.

About NATO

North Atlantic Treaty Organization is a 30-member intergovernmental military alliance. organisation was established in aftermath of World War II to implement North Atlantic Treaty, which was signed on April 4, 1949. alliance is a collective security arrangement in which NATO's independent member states commit to defending each or in event of an external attack. Since end of Cold War, alliance has been involved in military operations in Balkans, Middle East, South Asia, and Africa, among or places.