Finland's Prime Minister Sanna Marin (L) and Finland's President Sauli Niinistö give a press conference to announce that Finland will apply for NATO membership at the Presidential Palace in Helsinki, Finland on May 15, 2022. - Moscow's invasion of Ukraine on February 24, 2022 has swung political and public opinion in Finland and neighbouring Sweden in favour of NATO membership as a deterrent against Russian aggression. - Finland OUT (Photo by Heikki Saukkomaa / Lehtikuva / AFP) / Finland OUT (Photo by HEIKKI SAUKKOMAA/Lehtikuva/AFP via Getty Images)
On Thursday, Finland’s president, Sauli Niinistö, and prime minister, Sanna Marin, announced that they support the country in applying for North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) membership.
“NATO membership would strengthen Finland’s security,” they said.
Finland’s alliance would be a major blow to Russian President Vladimir Putin’s plan to weaken the Western alliance.