Finland joins NATO, deals blow to Vladimir Putin

The NATO flag (cenre) and Finland flags flutter over the building of Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Helsinki, Finland Tuesday. Pic/AP

Finland joined the NATO military alliance Tuesday, dealing a major blow to Russia with a historic realignment of the continent triggered by Moscow's invasion of Ukraine. With the handing over of documents, the Nordic nation officially entered the world's biggest security alliance, doubling its border with Russia.

Finland's membership represents a major change in Europe's security landscape: The country adopted neutrality after its defeat by Soviets in World War II. But its leaders signaled they wanted to join the alliance just months after Russian President Vladimir Putin's invasion of Ukraine sent a shiver of fear through Moscow's neighbours.

The move is a strategic and political blow to Putin, who has long complained about NATO's expansion toward Russia and partly used it as justification for the invasion. The alliance says it poses no threat to Moscow.

Also Read: Russia-Ukraine war: Will there be a spring counteroffensive in Europe's biggest armed conflict since World War II?

Russia warned it would be forced to take "retaliatory measures" to address "security threats" created by Finland's membership. It also warned it will bolster forces near Finland if NATO sends additional troops or equipment to its ‘31st member' country.

Suspect in blogger attack to face court

A woman suspected of involvement in a bombing at a St. Petersburg cafe that killed a Russian military blogger is set to face a court hearing in the Russian capital Tuesday that will set terms for her pre-trial detention. Vladlen Tatarsky, 40, an ardent supporter of the war in Ukraine who filed daily reports on the fighting from the front lines, was killed Sunday at the riverside cafe in the historic heart of St. Petersburg. Russian authorities described the bombing as an act of terrorism and blamed Ukrainian intelligence agencies for orchestrating the attack. Police arrested 26-year-old St. Petersburg resident Darya Trepova, seen on video moments before the blast presenting Tatarsky with a statuette believed to have contained explosives.

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