On Tuesday, Finland became NATO’s 31st member, a historic realignment of Europe’s defenses that drew an angry warning of “countermeasures” from the Kremlin. Pekka Haavisto, Finland’s Foreign Minister, formally concluded the process by handing over Helsinki’s accession papers to US Secretary of State Antony Blinken, the formal keeper of NATO’s founding treaty. On 5 July 2022, NATO Allies signed Finland’s Accession Protocol, following which all 30 national parliaments voted to ratify the country’s membership. “We welcome Finland to the Alliance!” exclaimed NATO Secretary … Continue reading Finland Becomes NATO’s 31st Member