Finland has decided to apply for NATO membership.

This was announced today by the President and the Prime Minister of the northern country.

The decision is a direct consequence of the Russian invasion of Ukraine, AFP reported.

The head of state and government council "have jointly decided that Finland will want to join NATO," said Finnish President Sauli Ninistö.

"It's a historic day.

A new era is beginning, "he told a news conference.

Tomorrow, the 200-member Finnish parliament is expected to consider the accession project, followed by a vote, the chamber's president said.

Support for the country's membership in the alliance was received yesterday by the Social Democratic Party of Prime Minister Sana Marin.

"We hope that the parliament will confirm the decision on our candidacy for NATO in the coming days.

It will be based on a clear mandate, "Marin said.

Finland can apply for NATO membership on May 18th, its foreign minister said

Yesterday, the Finnish president informed his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin by phone that Helsinki would soon apply for NATO membership, which provoked threats of punitive measures from Moscow.

Putin said joining NATO "would be a mistake" because "there is no threat to Finland's security," the Kremlin said.

Finnish President calls on Putin: The conversation was straightforward, without detours and passed without irritation

The war in Ukraine has sparked a historic spike in support for NATO membership in Finland to better protect Russia, with which it shares a 1,300-kilometer border.

According to the latest polls, more than three-quarters of Finns want to join the alliance - three times more than before the Russian aggression in Ukraine.