UK welcomes Finland’s accession to NATO alliance

British government reiterated its staunch support for Ukraine and says NATO’s expansion shows that Russian ambitions have failed

By Mehmet Solmaz

BIRMINGHAM, England (AA) — The British government on Tuesday welcomed Finland becoming the 31st member of the NATO and expressed its hopes to see Sweden quickly follow suit.

Foreign Secretary James Cleverly, in Brussels to attend a two-day meeting of NATO foreign ministers, said: “Today will go into the history books for NATO as a defensive Alliance. 31 countries strong, we welcome Finland to the table.”

The UK called on Türkiye and Hungary to also ratify Sweden’s accession to the alliance. “Let us be clear that our door remains open. We will welcome further Allies with open arms and we continue to push for Sweden’s swift accession,” said an official statement.

The statement said that Finnish membership was not even on the horizon 13 months ago. “Russia thought its aggression in Ukraine would divide members of NATO. Instead the Alliance is safer and more secure with another ally in its ranks.”

Prime Minister Rishi Sunak called this a historic day for both Finland and NATO, saying Helsinki’s accession has made the alliance stronger and safer.

After the Russia-Ukraine war began in February last year, Finland decided to abandon its decades-long neutrality and apply for NATO membership.

With Finland's accession, the length of NATO's border with Russia nearly doubled.

Kaynak: