Finland’s utility to hitch NATO was the “natural step” to take following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, the Nordic nation’s international minister advised a convention in Bahrain on Saturday.

Finland and Sweden dropped many years of army non-alignment and scrambled to turn out to be NATO members in May, after Russia’s warfare.

All 30 NATO member states besides Hungary and Turkey have ratified Finland’s accession, which requires unanimous approval. Hungary has mentioned it should assist Finland’s bid.

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The determination to use for NATO membership is “a result of the drastic change in our security environment”, Finland’s prime diplomat Pekka Haavisto advised the annual Manama Dialogue convention in Bahrain.

“Applying for NATO membership was… a natural step for us to take”, he added.

In 2004, Finland mentioned it might take the so-called “NATO option”, within the occasion that its safety atmosphere “changes dramatically,” the international minister mentioned.

“And what would be more dramatic for a change than the attack of your neighbour towards a country of 50 million people?” Haavisto requested.

On Friday, Finland unveiled a plan to extend safety on its border with Russia, together with a 200-kilometre (124-mile) fence.

Some 200 kilometres of the 1,300-kilometre border can be fenced at a value of round 380 million euros ($394 million), the border company mentioned.