NATO flags raised in Helsinki as Finland joins alliance

By KOSTYA MANENKOV and JARI TANNER
Associated Press

HELSINKI (AP) — NATO’s blue and white flags are fluttering against the backdrop of Helsinki’s deep blue sky as Finland is on the cusp of its historic entry into NATO. It is a historic step that doubles the Western alliance’s border with Russia and ends decades of nonalignment for the Nordic nation. The country’s foreign minister traveled to Brussels on Monday night carrying papers in a briefcase that when handed over to U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken on Tuesday will seal Finland’s entry into the North Atlantic Treaty Organization.