NATO flags raised in Helsinki as Finland joins alliance

By KOSTYA MANENKOV and JARI TANNER
Associated Press

HELSINKI (AP) — NATO’s blue and white flags are fluttering against the backdrop of Helsinki deep blue sky as Finland is on the cusp of its historic entry into NATO. It is a historic a step that doubles the Western alliance’s border with Russia and ends decades of non-alignment for the Nordic nation. The country’s foreign minister traveled the night before to Brussels carrying papers in a suitcase that when handed over to U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken will seal Finland’s entry into the North Atlantic Treaty Organization.