Jens Stoltenberg, the Secretary General of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO), has announced that Finland has become the 31st member of the alliance, thanks to Turkeys unanimous vote. Despite Russias opposition to Finlands membership, Turkeys approval has allowed the extension of NATO. Finland a long border of over 1,300 kilometers with Russia, and its decision to join NATO was prompted by security concerns following Russias invasion of Ukraine in 2022. However, Swedens application to join NATO has been declined by Turkey and Hungary.
NATO, or the North Atlantic Treaty Organization, is an intergovernmental military alliance established in 1949. It was formed as a collective defense pact between North American and European nations to deter Soviet expansion and protect member states from potential Soviet aggression during the Cold War