Finland is "highly likely" to join NATO following the Russian invasion of Ukraine, its Europe minister has told Sky News, the latter reported.
Finland 'highly likely' to join NATO
STEPANAKERT, APRIL 16, ARTSAKHPRESS: Tytti Tuppurainen, Minister for European Affairs and Ownership Steering of Finland, said that the "people of Finland have already made up their mind" and that polls show huge support for membership of the alliance.
"At this point I would say it is highly, but a decision has not yet been made," she said.
She said Russia's "brutal" war in Ukraine is a "wake up call to us all."
"Not only to us Finns; it has to do with the whole security border in Europe," she said.
It comes after the Finnish and Swedish prime ministers Sanna Marin and Magdalena Andersson took part in a joint press conference on Wednesday, during which Marin said her country, which shares an 810-mile (approx. 1,303.5km) border with Russia, was ready to make a formal decision on NATO membership "within weeks" following a debate in parliament.
