Finland's permanent representative to NATO in Brussels is likely to apply to join the alliance on Wednesday May 18, Finnish Foreign Minister Pekka Haavisto told the Aftonbladet newspaper about this. Mr. Pekka will head the delegation at the talks with NATO, Kommersant writes.

Finland and Sweden announced their desire to join NATO against the background of the Russian military operation in Ukraine, which began on February 24. The day before, on May 14, Finnish President Sauli Niinistö told Russian President Vladimir Putin that the republic would make a decision on membership in the alliance in the coming days.

Turkey surprised its NATO allies by saying that it could not support the expansion of the alliance, since Finland and Sweden are home to many terrorist organizations.