Russia vows response as Finland seeks Nato membership without delay

Nato secretary-general Jens Stoltenberg said the Finns would be 'warmly welcomed' and promised an accession process that would be 'smooth and swift'. Picture: AP Photo/Olivier Matthys

Finland said on Thursday it would apply to join Nato "without delay", with Sweden expected to follow suit, suggesting Russia's invasion of Ukraine will bring about the very expansion of the Western military alliance that Vladimir Putin aimed to prevent.

The decision by the two Nordic countries to abandon the neutrality they maintained throughout the Cold War would be one of the biggest shifts in European security in decades. Finland's announcement drew fury from the Kremlin, which called it a direct threat to Russia and threatened an unspecified response.