Finland set to join NATO, in blow to Putin

BRUSSELS (AP) — Finland is joining NATO. It will become the 31st member of the military alliance on Tuesday. Turkey, the last country to have ratified Finland’s membership, will hand its official texts to U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken in the afternoon, as NATO foreign ministers gather in Brussels. A flag-raising ceremony to add the Finnish flag to those of the other members will take place at NATO headquarters. Russia has already warned that it will bolster its defenses near their joint border if NATO deploys any additional troops or equipment there.