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On 15 May, Finland announced that it was breaking with its long tradition of neutrality by formally applying for NATO membership. The decision is directly motivated by Russia's aggression in Ukraine, which has rekindled historic concerns among neighbouring countries. Sweden followed suit the next day.
The Kremlin has called Helsinki's application for membership "a mistake", saying that "there is no threat to Finland's security" and that relations between the two countries, which share a 1,340-kilometre border, could be "negatively affected" if the membership application is accepted.
The two countries will have to convince the other 30 NATO member countries of their military contribution to collective security, with Turkey recently declaring no enthusiasm for the new candidates. Thus, long internal negotiations are expected before the pending applications can be accepted.
