Finnish Parliament's defence committee recommends NATO membership

Finland's President Sauli Niinisto speaks during the news conference after the NATO Summit at the official Presidential residence Mantyniemi in Helsinki, Finland, February 25, 2022. Lehtikuva/Eppo Samuli via REUTERS

HELSINKI (Reuters) - Joining NATO is the best option for Finland to guarantee its national security, the Finnish Parliament's defence committee said on Tuesday, ahead of Finland's official decision on whether or not to join the Western defence union in the coming days.

Finland's membership in the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) would significantly increase the deterrent for becoming a target of Russia's aggression, the defence committee concluded in a statement.