Finland looks to join Nato ‘without delay’

Finland’s leaders on Thursday came out in favor of applying to join Nato, and Sweden could do the same within days, in a historic realignment on the continent over two months after Russian President Vladimir Putin’s invasion of Ukraine sent a shiver of fear through Moscow’s neighbours. The Kremlin reacted by warning it will be forced to take retaliatory “military-technical” steps. Finland’s president and prime minister announced that the Nordic country should apply right away for membership in Nato, the military defence pact founded in part to counter the Soviet Union. The announcement means Finland is all but certain to apply — and gain admission — though the process could take months to complete. Sweden, likewise, is considering applying for membership.