Putin triggered 'historic' Nordic enlargement of NATO - Stoltenberg

Russian President Vladimir Putin attends a meeting with employees of a plant of Tulazheldormash railroad machinery and equipment manufacturer in Tula, Russia, April 4, 2023. Sputnik/Ramil Sitdikov/Pool via REUTERS

BRUSSELS (Reuters) - Russian President Vladimir Putin has achieved the opposite of his Ukraine war aims by triggering Finland's "historic" accession to NATO later on Tuesday, alliance chief Jens Stoltenberg said, declaring Sweden would also join soon.

"President Putin had as a declared goal of the invasion of Ukraine to get less NATO," he told reporters at NATO's Brussels headquarters, speaking hours before Finland was officially to become a member of the military alliance.