With the government of Finland endorsing its application to join the alliance, NATO members are looking for their first new member in two years, with a second suitor, Sweden, likely to follow close behind, the New York Times reports.
Russian President Vladimir Putin looks at expansion of the NATO alliance as a threat to Russian security, the reason he invaded Ukraine eleven weeks ago. Two NATO nations already border Russia: Estonia and Latvia. Lithuania and Poland border an outcrop of land that provides access to the Baltic Sea.
Finland, with a one million-member military force, shares a 800-mile border with Russia and has been the target of Russian aggression in the past. As Finland’s Parliament discussed its application this week, a Russian nuclear-capable bomber flew alarmingly close to the border. Last week, a Russian military helicopter briefly flew into Finnish airspace.