Finland becomes 31st member of NATO.

Finland became NATO’s newest member on 4 April 2023, upon depositing its instrument of accession to the North Atlantic Treaty with the United States at NATO Headquarters in Brussels. NATO Allies signed Finland’s Accession Protocol on 5 July 2022, after which all 30 national parliaments voted to ratify the country’s membership.
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The Finnish flag (blue cross on white background) has been added to the 30 previous ones (Picture source: NATO)

“We welcome Finland to the Alliance!,” said NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg, as Finnish Foreign Minister Pekka Haavisto deposited Finland’s instrument of accession with the government of the United States, represented by Secretary of State Antony Blinken. The Secretary General then welcomed Finnish President Sauli Niinistö to NATO Headquarters for a flag-raising ceremony to mark the country’s accession to the Alliance.

Speaking ahead of the ceremony, the Secretary General thanked President Niinistö for his outstanding leadership and for leading Finland into the most successful Alliance in history. “I am deeply proud to welcome Finland as a full-fledged member of our Alliance and I look forward to also welcoming Sweden as soon as possible,” he said. “Joining NATO is good for Finland, it is good for Nordic security and it is good for NATO as a whole,” he added. The Secretary General also noted that Finland’s accession shows the world that President Putin failed to “slam NATO’s door shut.” “Instead of less NATO, he has achieved the opposite; more NATO and our door remains firmly open,” he said.

The Finnish national anthem and the NATO hymn were played, as Finland’s flag was raised outside NATO Headquarters for the first time, in the presence of President Niinistö, Foreign Minister Haavisto, Defence Minister Kaikkonen, the foreign ministers of all NATO Allies and invitee Sweden. Simultaneous flag-raising ceremonies took place at Allied Command Operations (SHAPE) in Mons (Belgium) and Allied Command Transformation in Norfolk, Virginia (United States). Standing alongside President Niinistö, the Secretary General said: “Finland is safer and NATO is stronger with Finland as an Ally. Your forces are substantial and highly capable, your resilience is second to none and for many years troops from Finland and NATO countries have worked side-by-side as partners. From today, we stand together as Allies."

Statement From U.S. Secretary of Defense Lloyd J. Austin III on Finland's accession to NATO on April 4, 2023

I congratulate Finland on becoming the 31st Member of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization on the day of the Alliance's 74th anniversary.

Finland is a proud democracy whose highly capable military will greatly strengthen NATO. Its decision to join the Alliance reflects the appeal of NATO's democratic values, as well as NATO's vital role in upholding the rules-based international order. I look forward to working alongside Finland as an Ally, and to seeing Sweden join the Alliance as soon as possible. I will travel to Sweden later this month to discuss a range of regional security issues as well as their planning for NATO accession.

More than a year into President Vladimir Putin's cruel and unprovoked war against Ukraine, NATO is more unified and more resolute than ever. Putin's war is not the result of NATO enlargement—it is the cause of NATO enlargement. And the United States is determined to stand with Ukraine's brave defenders for as long as it takes.

On this historic day, I join all of our Allies in welcoming Finland to NATO. Together, we will continue the Alliance's urgent, vital work to support the forces of freedom, defend every inch of NATO territory, and build a safer world.

 Finnish President Sauli Niinisto presented the accession instrument to U.S. Secretary of State Antony J. Blinken (Picture source: NATO)

Jim Garamone, from the U.S. Department of Defense, comments

NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg on April 4 welcomed the new member when Finland's flag was raised alongside those of the 30 other nations in the alliance during a ceremony at NATO headquarters in Brussels. "From today, 31 flags will fly together — a symbol of our unity and our solidarity."

"Joining NATO is good for Finland, it is good for Nordic security, and it is good for NATO as a whole," Stoltenberg said. "Finland brings substantial and highly capable forces, expertise in national resilience, and years of experience working side by side with NATO allies. I am deeply proud to welcome Finland as a full-fledged member of our alliance, and I look forward to also welcoming Sweden as soon as possible."

Earlier, Finnish President Sauli Niinisto presented the accession instrument to U.S. Secretary of State Antony J. Blinken.

Finland has long exercised with NATO countries, but never joined the defensive alliance. Russian President Vladimir Putin's unprovoked war on Ukraine pushed the nation and Sweden to apply for membership last year.

The Secretary General said Putin had hoped his invasion of Ukraine would divide and break NATO. "President Putin wanted to slam NATO's door shut," he said. "Today, we show the world that he failed, that aggression and intimidation do not work."

"As an ally, Finland will contribute to NATO's collective deterrence and defense," the Finnish president said. He promised Finland would be "a reliable ally that strengthens regional stability."

He said that Finland's NATO membership "is not targeted against anyone nor does it change the foundations or objectives of Finland's foreign and security policy. Finland is a stable and predictable Nordic country that seeks peaceful resolution of disputes. The principles and values that are important to Finland will continue to guide our foreign policy also in the future."

Finland joined the alliance on the 74th anniversary of the signing of the Washington Treaty, which established NATO. In the beginning, there were 12 nations dedicated to the defensive alliance against the Soviet Union. NATO has grown and morphed over the years. Its strength was one of the reasons the Soviet Union dissolved, and the nations that were under the bootheels of Soviet tyranny rushed to join the democratic organization.

Finland and Sweden applied for NATO membership in May 2022. "Both countries are strong democracies with highly capable militaries, who share our values and vision for the world," President Joe Biden said in a statement released by the White House. "Less than a year later, we are welcoming Finland as a member — the fastest ratification process in NATO's modern history. I look forward to welcoming Sweden as a NATO member as soon as possible and encourage Turkey and Hungary to conclude their ratification processes without delay."

Biden, too, said Putin made a colossal strategic mistake. "When Putin launched his brutal war of aggression against the people of Ukraine, he thought he could divide Europe and NATO," the president said. "He was wrong. Today, we are more united than ever. And together — strengthened by our newest ally Finland — we will continue to preserve transatlantic security, defend every inch of NATO territory, and meet any and all challenges we face."

North Macedonia was the last nation to join the alliance, becoming part of NATO in March 2020.

Defense News April 2023