Finland’s president to Putin: we will apply to join NATO

By JARI TANNER
Associated Press

HELSINKI (AP) — Finnish President Sauli Niinisto has informed his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin that the militarily non-aligned Nordic country that shares a long border with Russia “will decide to apply for NATO membership in the coming days.” Niinisto’s office said in a statement that the Finnish head of state told Putin in Saturday’s phone conversation how thoroughly Finland’s security environment had changed after Moscow’s Feb. 24 invasion on Ukraine, and pointed to Russia’s demands on Finland refraining from seeking membership in NATO, the 30-member Western military alliance.