Finland joins NATO

Finland has officially joined NATO, doubling the alliance's border with Russia.

Finland becomes the 31st member of the security alliance.

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken accepted the accession document from the Finnish foreign secretary and declared Finland a member of NATO.

NATO's Article five states that an attack on one member is an attack on all. This means that if Finland (which shares an 832-mile border with Russia) were to be attacked, all NATO member states would come to its aid.

Finnish President Sauli Niinisto said: "It is a great day for Finland."

Nato secretary general Jens Stoltenberg said: "This will make Finland safer and Nato stronger."

"President Putin had a declared goal of the invasion of Ukraine to get less Nato along its borders and no more membership in Europe, he's getting exactly the opposite."

Finland has an active armed force of around 30,000 as well as 250,000 reserves.

Image by Wilfried Pohnke from Pixabay