Finland has officially joined the NATO alliance in a historic realignment of Europe's post-Cold War landscape triggered by Moscow's invasion of Ukraine.
The 30 NATO allies have signed off on the accession protocols for Sweden and Finland, sending the membership bids of the two nations to the alliance capitals for legislative approvals.
Finland says it will apply to join NATO "without delay", with Sweden expected to follow suit, as Russia's invasion of Ukraine brings about the very expansion of the Western military alliance that Vladimir Putin aimed to prevent.
Sweden's ruling Social Democrats will decide on May 15 whether to overturn decades of opposition to NATO membership, the party says, a move that would almost certainly lead to Sweden asking to join the 30-nation alliance.
Finland will pause the use of Moderna's COVID-19 vaccine for men born in 1991 and later due to reports of a cardiovascular side effect, the institute for health and welfare says.
