The President of Finland Sauli Niinistö and Prime Minister Sanna Marin have officially announced their intention to apply for NATO membership as soon as possible.
Their joint statement on the decision was published on the website of the President of Finland.
"In the spring of this year, an important discussion took place on Finland's possible membership in NATO. It took time for parliament and society to define their position on this. It took time for close international contacts with NATO and member countries, as well as with Sweden," the statement reads.
Finland believes that membership in the Alliance will strengthen the security of the state.
"After joining NATO, Finland will strengthen its entire defense alliance. Finland must apply for NATO membership immediately. We hope that the national steps needed to take this decision will be taken quickly in the coming days," the president and prime minister said in a statement.
Following russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine, non-aligned Sweden and Finland have expressed their readiness to join NATO. US officials say the countries may join NATO in the summer.
Russia, in its traditional manner, has begun to intimidate Finland with the consequences of joining the Alliance. In particular, russian ex-president Medvedev published a post threatening to increase russia's military presence in the Baltic, because the accession of Finland and Sweden to NATO "threatens russia." He wrote that Russia would be "forced" to strengthen the group of ground forces and air defense and deploy the Navy in the Gulf of Finland. He also said that "nuclear-free Baltic status will be out of question".
He also threatened to raise prices and taxes, increase tensions along the borders, locate 9K720 Iskanders [mobile short range ballistic missile systems] and ships with nuclear weapons "literally at arm's length from home."