Why Finland joining NATO is a blow to Vladimir Putin

Finland is set to officially become a member of NATO later on Tuesday and take its place among the ranks of the worlds biggest security alliance.

Neighboring Russia has already warned that it will bolster its defences near their joint border if NATO deploys any additional troops or equipment to what will be its 31st member country.

Finlands blue and white flag is scheduled to be raised among those of its partners outside NATOs Brussels headquarters. Finlands president, foreign and defense ministers will take part.

The ceremony falls on NATOs very own birthday, the 74th anniversary of the signing of its founding Washington Treaty on April 4, 1949. It also coincides with a meeting of the alliances foreign ministers.

Turkey became the last NATO member country to ratify Finlands membership protocol on Thursday. It will hand over the document officially enshrining that decision to US Secretary of State Antony Blinken before the ceremony.

Finland will then give Blinken its own final texts, officialising its membership.

Alarmed by Russias invasion of Ukraine last year, Finland applied to join NATO in May 2022, setting aside years of military nonalignment to seek protection under the organizations security umbrella. Neighbouring Sweden also applied, but its accession process may take a few months longer.

Finland shares a 1,340-kilometer (832-mile) border with Russia, so its entry will more than double the size of NATOs border with Russia.

The move is a strategic and political blow to Russian President Vladimir Putin, who has long complained about NATOs expansion toward Russia.

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