Finland's president confirms country will apply to join Nato in historic shift; 'mistake' says Putin | South China Morning Post

Finland's President Sauli Niinisto confirmed on Sunday that his country would apply for membership of the Nato military alliance, in a historic policy shift prompted by Russia's invasion of Ukraine. Moscow, which shares a 1,300km (800 mile) border with Finland, has said it would be a mistake for Helsinki to join the transatlantic alliance and that it would harm bilateral ties. Sweden is also expected to follow suit as public support for membership has grown amid security concerns. Sunday's announcement comes after Niinisto and Prime Minister Sanna Marin said on Thursday they both favoured Nato (North Atlantic Treaty Organisation) membership,…