Finland to join Nato military alliance on Tuesday

Finland will become the 31st member of Nato on Tuesday, the Western military alliance's secretary general has announced.

The application was prompted by the invasion of Ukraine by Russia, with which Finland shares a long border.

Turkey had delayed the application, complaining that Finland was supporting "terrorists".

Sweden applied to join Nato at the same time last May, but Turkey is blocking it over similar complaints.

Any Nato expansion needs the support of all its members.

"We will raise the Finnish flag for the first time here at Nato headquarters. It will be a good day for Finland's security, for Nordic security and for Nato as a whole," Nato Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg said in Brussels.

"Sweden will also be safer as a result," he said.