Listen to the news

Russia's invasion of Ukraine has raised security concerns in Europe, and Moscow's nuclear rhetoric served as a key factor in Finland's application to join NATO, Finnish Foreign Minister Pekka Havisto said, Kyodo news agency reported.

Russia's invasion of Ukraine means that "security realities in Europe have changed," Havisto said in an interview with the Japanese agency, given on the sidelines of the meeting of foreign ministers of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe, which took place in Lodz, in Poland, earlier this week.

The President of Finland is optimistic that Hungary will support his country for NATO membership

Moscow's nuclear threats have prompted Finland, which shares a border with Russia some 1,300 kilometers long, to think about how to respond and where to get support from if it becomes the target of such rhetoric, the minister said.

These concerns were among the reasons that prompted Finland to make a historic shift in its security policy and apply for NATO membership, Havisto added.

Finland remained neutral after losing part of its territory to the Soviet Union during World War II, the agency recalled.

After Russia's invasion of Ukraine began in February, Finland and Sweden applied for NATO membership.

The process requires ratification by all 30 members of the alliance, with Hungary and Turkey the only two countries that have yet to do so.

NATO signed the protocols for the accession of Finland and Sweden to the alliance

The Finnish foreign minister said that Hungary had promised that it would give its approval in early February and added that he was "very hopeful that in the spring everything will be settled", including the ratification by Turkey, adds BTA.

NATO

Finland