Finland’s government is preparing legislation that would allow nuclear weapons on its territory, marking a major shift in national defence policy since joining NATO in 2023.
Defence Minister Antti Häkkänen said the proposal reflects a security environment that has “fundamentally and significantly changed” since the start of the Russia-Ukraine war.
Under Finland’s 1987 Nuclear Energy Act, the import, manufacture, possession, or detonation of nuclear explosives is currently banned, including during wartime.
Key developments:
• Proposed legal changes would allow nuclear weapons linked to Finland’s military defence within NATO.
• The reform requires amendments to the Nuclear Energy Act and the criminal code.
• Finland joined NATO in 2023 after decades of military neutrality.
• The proposal will undergo consultation until 2 April 2026 before being formally submitted to parliament.
Russia, which shares a 1,340 km border with Finland, warned it would respond if nuclear weapons were deployed.
“This is a statement that leads to an escalation of tensions on the European continent,” Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters.
“This statement adds to Finland’s vulnerability, a vulnerability provoked by the actions of the Finnish authorities. The fact is that by deploying nuclear weapons on its territory, Finland is beginning to threaten us. And if Finland threatens us, we take appropriate measures.”
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