NATO flags raised in Helsinki as Finland joins alliance
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 HELSINKI -- NATO's blue and white flags fluttered against the backdrop of Helsinki's deep blue sky Tuesday as Finland was on the cusp of its historic entry into NATO, a 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 the previous night to Brussels carrying papers in a briefcase that when handed over to U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken will seal Finland's entry into the North Atlantic Treaty Organization. It's a moment that most Finns had never previously wanted as they balanced friendly ties with both the West and Russia. But all that changed with Russia's full-scale and brutal invasion of its neighbor Ukraine last year, creating a sudden and strong sense of insecurity that pushed the nation t...