Finland’s legislature on Tuesday approved the country’s bid for NATO membership with 188 votes in favor and eight against, Parliament Speaker Matti Vanhanen said, Deutsche Welle reports.
The vote comes after a parliamentary debate, during which the Foreign Affairs Committee said that “failure to respond to Russia’s policies would lead to a narrowing of Finland’s foreign, security and defense policy,” it added.
The vote in Parliament was seen a formality, as Finnish President Sauli Niinisto and Prime Minister Sanna Marin had already announced that Finland would go ahead and that minimal opposition was expected.
