Both Finland’s President and prime minister endorsed Helsinki joining NATO as soon as possible. The prospect of Finnish membership could pave the way for another historic expansion of the U.S.-led military alliance. The Kremlin says the move poses a direct threat to Russia.
CGTN’s Michael Voss reports.

Follow Michael Voss on Twitter @mvosscuba

Joining the discussion:

• Pavlo Kukhta is the former Ukrainian Acting Minister of Economy.
• Klaus Larres is a Distinguished Professor of History & International Affairs with the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill.
• Anton Fedyashin is a Professor of History at American University.
• Dmitry Babich is a journalist and Russian political analyst.

For more:

Finland said 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 https://t.co/Orl7oglNae 1/5 pic.twitter.com/9peSJmFWZb

— Reuters (@Reuters) May 12, 2022

Fourteen-year-old Yura Nechyporenko and his father Ruslan were biking in Bucha, Ukraine, in March when a Russian soldier stepped from a dirt path to challenge them.

They were about to become some of the many civilians killed by Russian forces. https://t.co/7J2rhSAvCv

— The Associated Press (@AP) May 12, 2022