Neelam Rahim | neelam@radioislam.co.za

2-minute read
06 April 2023 | 12:19 CAT

Photo Credit: CNN

Finland officially became the 31st member of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) on Tuesday, marking a major shift in the security landscape in north-eastern Europe that adds some 1,300 kilometres (830 miles) to the alliance’s frontier with Russia.

The Nordic nation’s accession was sealed during Tuesday’s formal ceremony at the NATO headquarters in Brussels.

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken and NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg were on hand as the Minister for Foreign Affairs, Pekka Haavisto, established Finland’s accession.

Finland’s NATO membership guarantees the northern European nation access to the resources of the entire alliance in the event of an attack.

It includes the protection offered by NATO’s Article 5 principle, which states that an attack on one member of NATO is an attack on all members. It’s been a cornerstone of the 30-member alliance since it was founded in 1949 as a counterweight to the Soviet Union.

An overwhelming majority of NATO members welcomed Finland and Sweden’s applications, but two countries — Turkey and Hungary — began to stall the process.

Turkey and Hungary later softened their stance on Finland’s accession, opening the door to its membership in March while continuing to block Sweden’s membership application.

Managing Director at the International Interest and Public, a political commentator, Samdi Hamdi, told Radio Islam International the bump has not been because Turkey has concerns over Finland and Sweden. Rather, it’s been about Turkey trying to squeeze concessions out of Washington.

Hamdi highlighted that Turkey has very legitimate concerns that the US has not necessarily dealt with in an understanding manner.

“The reality is the complex issues in Syria and the Mediterranean are not easy to resolve and the US is not supportive of a Kurdish independent state in Syria and Iraq,” he says.

Listen to the full interview on  Radio Islam’s podcast below.